CenterPoint Energy deployed nearly 400 linemen, contractors, and support personnel from Houston and Evansville, Indiana, on the morning of Aug. 28 to assist with power restoration efforts in southwest Louisiana because of Hurricane Laura's extensive damage.
"Since the hurricane missed our Houston Electric service territory, we were able to quickly and efficiently deploy critical resources from Houston and Evansville to provide support to our electric utility neighbors to the east," said Kenny Mercado, CenterPoint Energy's senior vice president, electric operations. "We are fully committed to restoring power to affected customers as safely and quickly as possible."
CenterPoint Energy crews were expected to start working 16-hour shifts after the safety and onboarding process was complete. The company had also been making plans to send a second wave of resources to support this effort.
In response to COVID-19, CenterPoint Energy adopted the necessary steps to protect the safety and well-being of customers, employees, contractors, and communities. The company continued to monitor Hurricane Laura's impact and prepared for potential impact as the storm traveled through or near its service territories of Arkansas, Indiana, and Ohio.
CenterPoint Energy is part of electric utility mutual assistance programs that provide access to thousands of linemen and tree trimmers from around the country to lend a hand during widespread power outage emergencies. Over the years, crews have responded and restored power to hundreds of thousands of customers throughout the country who have been left in the dark following hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms.
