Safety is priority for customers, employees and communities

Overnight, Tropical Storm Francine strengthened to a Category 1 Hurricane. And as the storm approaches landfall and moves across the state, some Cleco customers may begin to experience power outages. 

“Cleco is prepared to safely and efficiently respond to power outages due to Hurricane Francine,” said Clint Robichaux, director of distribution operations and reliability. “As soon as conditions are safe, the company’s focus will be on responding to unsafe electrical situations and restoring power to critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and water systems, and then restoring power to the greatest number of customers until power is restored to all.”  

How Cleco Restores Power During a Storm

• Once conditions are safe, workers begin to assess damage by land and air.
• Next, transmission and distribution lines are inspected and repaired. Transmission lines are critical to power restoration because they carry electricity from power plants to substations that deliver electricity to distribution lines which deliver electricity to homes and businesses.
• Power is restored to critical community services first, such as hospitals, nursing homes, water systems, fire and police departments.
• Power is then restored to the greatest number of customers in the shortest amount of time until power is restored to all customers who can receive power.

Safety Tips

• Generator Safety

For more before, during and after the storm safety tips, visit www.cleco.com/StormSafety. 

• Generators should be operated outdoors only and in well-ventilated areas.
• Plug appliances directly into portable generators with grounded extension cords that can handle the load.
• Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. It could back feed electricity through your home's wiring to the entire Cleco circuit and cause injury or death to a worker attempting to repair that circuit.
• Don't exceed the rated capacity of the generator and only refuel when the engine is off and cool.
• Powerline Safety
• Assume all downed power lines are live and stay away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 1-800-622-6537 and 911.
• Don't step in nearby puddles or attempt to move any object that comes in contact with a downed power line.

For more before, during and after the storm safety tips, visit www.cleco.com/StormSafety.