Cleco crews are assessing damage to its electrical system caused by Hurricane Ida, officials say.
Initial reports indicate that at the height of the storm, 104,432 customers lost power as Ida moved across southeast Louisiana Sunday into Monday.
“We continue assessing damage in the hardest hit parishes and should have more details tomorrow,” said Clint Robichaux, manager of distribution operations support. “Due to significant flooding, there are some areas we cannot access immediately due to high water even with specialized equipment.”
In addition to Cleco personnel, the company has more than 2,000 contractors working to clear debris and repair system damage.
Cleco also has specialized equipment like drones, helicopters, airboats and marsh buggies to access areas that are difficult to reach with regular bucket and pickup trucks.
“We understand the next several days will be challenging,” said Robichaux. “We’re doing everything we can to evaluate the damage and begin restoring power as quickly and safely as possible.”
Here are the estimated times for restoration based on Cleco's early damage assessment. They say that unexpected damage or inclement weather could impact restoration efforts and timelines.
· Jeanerette – Crews restored power to customers in this area today.
· Franklin – ETR is tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 30, at noon
· Patterson/Berwick – ETR is end of day Wednesday, Sept. 1
Power Outages as of 3 p.m. Monday:
St. Mary Parish: 4,580 outages or 24% of those served
St. Tammany Parish: 95,487 outages or 99% of those served
Washington Parish: 798 outages or 100% of those served
