Cleco restores power to over half of customers impacted by storms 

Severe weather moved across Cleco’s service territory yesterday leaving nearly 45,000 customers without power statewide.

 Immediately following the storm, all Cleco storm personnel and 400 additional contractor line mechanics and vegetation specialists from out of state began damage assessments, system repairs and power restoration. Additionally, the company brought in specialized equipment to help clear roads and move debris.

 “One of our biggest challenges with this storm was road access. Flooding and debris in the road meant that we couldn’t immediately access our system and equipment,” said Clint Robichaux, director of distribution operations and reliability. “Despite those challenges, our crews worked all day yesterday and overnight, and restored power to over half of our impacted customers statewide.”

 Crews are reporting significant damage to parts of Cleco’s system across the state.

 “We expect to make a lot of progress on system repairs and power restoration today but anticipate that this could be a multi-day restoration event for some areas,” said Robichaux. “We will have a better idea on specific restoration timelines later today.” 

 Safety tips:

• Operate portable generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas and plug appliances directly into generators with grounded extension cords.  Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.
• Assume all downed power lines are live and stay away.  Report downed power lines immediately by calling 1-800-622-6537 and 911.