News Release > Entergy Restores Power to Majority of Customers After Historic Flooding

For Immediate Release

Entergy Restores Power to Majority of Customers After Historic Flooding

08/21/2016

CONTACT

Michael Burns
504-576-4132
mburns@entergy.com   

Kacee Kirschvink
504-576-4132
kkirsch@entergy.com

Restoration times unknown for those with severe structure damage

BATON ROUGE, La. – Power has been restored to all of the customers who can safely receive it. Some houses are still underwater in the St. Amant, Sorrento and False River areas, and it may take some time to re-energize an estimated 2,000 customers whose flood damage was so severe they cannot yet be re-connected. Entergy will continue working with these customers on an individual basis until their power can be restored.

The historic flooding of south Louisiana began Aug. 12 as a tropical-type weather system brought record-breaking rainfall and record-setting crests of local rivers, bayous and tributaries.

The flooding began north of Baton Rouge and made its way south for more than a week. Overall, 32,157 electric customers were affected. In addition, about 22,000 gas meters in Baton Rouge were submerged by floodwater and will have to be replaced.

“As we continue the next phase of our restoration process, we want customers to know that we will work closely with them to get their power back on,” said Dennis Dawsey, vice president of customer service for Louisiana. “We appreciate their cooperation and patience.”

More than 1,000 workers from Entergy’s four-state service territory of Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana assisted in the restoration process. Crews worked tirelessly with government agencies to prevent substations and critical systems from being damaged by floodwaters. Other crews walked through neighborhoods across south Louisiana, going door to door to inspect meters and electrical equipment. They energized lines where it was safe to do so.

Processes were put into place to ensure the safety of customers, as they remove water-soaked walls and flooring and prepare to rebuild their homes and businesses. The amount of water that entered their structures will determine the actions customers may need to take to have power restored. For more information, go to entergystormcenter.com/.

Customer information centers are open today to assist customers who can’t take power because of flood damage. Information about these centers is available by calling 1-800-9-OUTAGE and selecting option seven. Also, arrangements can be made for flood victims who need extra time to pay their Entergy Louisiana bills by calling 1-800-ENTERGY.

“We thank our customers for their patience during this difficult recovery,” Dawsey said. “It will take us all time to get over this devastating loss for our region, but together we can rebuild and become stronger parishes, cities and communities.”

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to approximately 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the company is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation.

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of approximately $11.5 billion and more than 13,000 employees.

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