Cleco says 24,000 customers remain without power after tornadoes and strong winds ripped through the state Wednesday. The utility company says it has brought in 400 additional line mechanics to help in power restoration efforts. Spokesperson Jennifer Cahill says they also have specialized equipment to help move debris.
“A lot of the work we had to do with bringing dozers and heavy equipment to clear the roads so that we could really even begin to make repairs.”
There are about six-thousand customers in St. Landry Parish without power. High winds destroyed 50 poles and downed power lines in Opelousas.
Most of Cleco’s outages are in Slidell where initial surveys indicate an area near Old Spanish Trail was hit by at least an EF-1 tornado. Cahill says their St. Tammany customers could be without power for multiple days.
“We’ll have a better idea on specific restoration timelines later today as the crews get out there a little bit more and continue to assess the damage and see what we’re looking at.”
There are also dozens of broken poles in Slidell, along with damaged crossarms.
Entergy Louisiana expects to restore power to the majority of its 16,000 customers who are without power by tonight. Spokesperson David Freese says crews are working to clear debris and repair power lines.
“We have tree trimmers on the ground who are continuing to clean up debris and that allows our line workers to come in behind them set new poles and put wire back in the air.”
Freese says they plan to have the power restored for most of its customers by tonight. But he says it could be until tomorrow for customers in Calcasieu Parish and the Lafayette area…
“We understand that any time without power is simply too long. And that’s why we’re working as quickly and efficiently and safely as possible to get the lights back on.”
Entergy customers can visit entergy.com for the latest outage updates.
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