Storm Center > Power Restored to More than 90% of Southwest Louisiana Customers Affected by Hurricane Laura
Power Restored to More than 90% of Southwest Louisiana Customers Affected by Hurricane Laura
09/21/2020
Entergy Louisiana has successfully restored over 90% of all customers in Southwest Louisiana who lost electrical service following Hurricane Laura. As of 9 a.m. Monday morning, approximately 8,900 people remained without power, down from a peak of over 93,000 outages.
Since Laura made landfall on Aug. 27, crews have restored power to approximately 443,650 individual outages and made significant progress in the heavily impacted parishes of Calcasieu and Cameron.
“Restoring power following a storm is what we do, and I could not be prouder of what our team has been able to accomplish in a matter of weeks,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “Although we have made power available to 90% of the customers in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes affected by Hurricane Laura, there is still work to be done. You have my commitment that we will be there until every customer who can safely take service has power available to them.”
Systemwide, crews have replaced approximately 13,000 distribution poles, 3,760 transformers and 29,350 spans of wire. Of those numbers, approximately 10,500 distribution poles, 3,000 transformers and 22,500 spans of wire have been replaced in southwest Louisiana alone.
On the transmission side, crews have repaired or replaced approximately 800 transmission structures and made repairs to approximately 300 substations. Of those numbers, approximately 750 transmission structures were repaired or replaced and approximately 80 substations saw repairs in southwest Louisiana.
While work continues in the southwest portion of the state, Entergy’s Louisiana companies are continuing to monitor and plan for the potential impact of Tropical Storm Beta as it travels through the Gulf of Mexico and inland over the next few days. Forecasters expect this slow-moving system to bring wind, heavy rains, high tides and coastal flooding to portions of southeast Texas and Louisiana.
Entergy encourages customers to monitor all local weather alerts and have their storm plans in place. It is important to remember that due to the additional safety measures the companies must take because of the COVID-19 pandemic or an inability to secure enough offsite resources, restoration times may be extended, especially if there are widespread outages.
Along with standard storm preparations, Entergy continues to navigate through the pandemic by taking additional preparation steps and adhering to all CDC and state guidelines. Crews will continue to practice social distancing, even in the field, and we ask that customers do the same. For their safety and yours, please stay away from work zones. If you need to report a problem with your service at any time, call 1-800-ENTERGY.
Restoration Information
Entergy has established detailed restoration dates for most customers in southwest Louisiana. Residents can view these anticipated times here.
However, customers should keep in mind that just because power is available it does not mean their home can safely accept it. Residents should check for damage to the electrical equipment attached to their home or business and contact an electrician to make any needed repairs. For more information on what equipment is yours and what equipment is ours, visit entergy.com/hurricanelaura/home-repairs. If damage has been repaired by a qualified electrician, call 1-866-557-4240 between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to generate a service reconnection work order.
If your home or business has been damaged beyond repair and you would like to close your Entergy account to avoid a minimum monthly bill, visit myEntergy.com or call 1-800-ENTERGY.
Entergy Louisiana is committed to repairing and rebuilding the electric system until every customer who was impacted by the storm has power available to them. As work progresses, we will update restoration timeframes with increasingly accurate estimates. Please remember that the power carried to your home is delivered through transmission lines that may have been damaged. These damages could prevent your home from having power even though the poles and wires around your home appear to be in good condition.
Stay Informed
We continually keep our customers informed throughout a storm through the following channels:
- We have launched Hurricane Laura information website to provide customers with storm restoration updates, entergy.com/hurricanelaura.
- Download our free app for your smartphone at entergy.com/app.
- Sign up for text alerts by texting REG to 36778 and have your account number and ZIP code handy. The registration pattern is as follows, including spaces: REG (account number) (ZIP code). Once registered, text OUT to 36778 to report an outage. You can also report an outage online as a guest.
- Visit the Entergy Storm Center website and our View Outages.
- Follow us on Twitter.com/entergy or Facebook.com/entergy.
- Call us at 800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
The Entergy Storm Center has storm safety, preparation and restoration information that is updated throughout the day.