Entergy’s Louisiana storm team consisting of lineworkers, tree trimmers, and scouts, among other support personnel, are working to simultaneously assess the electric system and restore over 315,380 customers in Louisiana, New Orleans and Mississippi, who lost power following Hurricane Francine. Just 36 hours after Hurricane Francine’s landfall, Entergy’s workforce has returned electrical power to 65% of impacted customers.
Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish as a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of around 100 miles per hour. While outages are widespread across southeast Louisiana, the hardest-hit areas appear to be the coastal parts of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, as well as parishes like Assumption and Ascension.
“This will be a marathon, not a sprint,” said Deanna Rodriguez president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans. “We’re going as fast and safe as we can. This is not just a restoration effort for us; it’s a matter of helping people get their lives back together as soon as possible.”
The Restoration Process
Entergy’s Louisiana storm team began restoration efforts overnight after the storm passed and it was safe for crews to begin assessing damage and restoring power. To assess damage in harder to reach areas, we use advanced technology, such as infrared cameras, drones and satellite imagery to assess damage by foot, vehicles, airboats, highwater vehicles and helicopters.
As damage assessments are completed, Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans can provide restoration time estimates; however, where possible, restoration happens in parallel. The restoration process is done in an orderly, deliberate manner. For example, the company works to restore power to essential customers first – hospitals, police, fire, communications and water, sanitary and transportation – and repair lines that could bring power to large numbers of customers as quickly as possible. Power is restored faster in areas with less damage, while restoration times in the hardest hit areas depend on the extent of damage to Entergy’s electrical facilities.
“Just like in past hurricanes, we ask all of our customers – those who have had power restored and those still waiting – to be patient as we work to make repairs,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana. “We understand our customers want to know when they’re going to get their power back and we’re eager to provide that information to them.”
The company is bringing in all available resources to work around the clock to ensure steady progress is made.
In addition to Entergy's normal workforce, it has acquired 6,100 restoration workers who are ready, restoring service for customers whose power was affected by Francine. Restoration crews have been brought in from 12 states to support Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans.
- Total restoration field workforce includes company employees, contractors and mutual aid resources numbering approximately 1,600 in Mississippi, 7,100 in Louisiana and 1,000 in New Orleans. Please be mindful of restoration crews working in travel lanes and near the edge of roadways. As restoration is completed in portions of Entergy’s territory affected by Hurricane Francine, we can add those crews to those already working the restoration in the harder-hit areas.
