PINEVILLE, La. – May 4, 2020 – Cleco is preparing for the start of the Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season and is encouraging customers to prepare as well.

The Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season officially begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

“With the 2020 hurricane season almost here, we’re asking our customers to start preparing now,” said James Lass, director of distribution operations and emergency management.  “We also want our customers to factor the COVID-19 pandemic into their plan just as we are doing at Cleco.  We’re taking steps to protect our customers, workers and the general public in the event of a hurricane during the pandemic.”

For the 2020 season, meteorologists are predicting above-normal activity with an above-average probability that major hurricanes will make landfall along the continental United States.

“We know from experience that hurricanes can be deadly and cause significant damage, including extended power outages.  Preparing before a storm hits can be life-saving and mitigate damage to your home or business,” said Lass.  “Hurricane Preparedness Week is a good time to develop a plan if you don’t have one or re-evaluate your existing plan based on our current conditions.”

Below are steps customers can take to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season:

• Make a list of important phone numbers.
• Put all important documents in a waterproof container.
• Plan an evacuation route and ensure family members are aware of the route. 
• Know where emergency shelters are located.
• Prepare a storm kit – gather supplies you might need during a power outage, including flashlights, batteries, canned food, manual can opener, bottled water, medication and a first aid kit.
• Plan ahead for special or medical needs, including your pets.
• Make provisions for a generator, if needed, and test the generator to ensure it works.

More storm preparedness tips can be found online at www.cleco.com and by following Cleco on Facebook at @ClecoPower.

Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC is a regional energy holding company that conducts its business operations through its subsidiaries, Cleco Power LLC and Cleco Cajun LLC. Cleco Power is a regulated electric public utility company that owns 10 generating assets with a total nameplate capacity of 3,360 MWs and serves approximately 288,000 customers in Louisiana through its retail business and supplies wholesale power in Louisiana and Mississippi.  Cleco Cajun is an unregulated utility company that owns eight generating assets with a total nameplate capacity of 3,555 MWs, with contracts serving nine Louisiana cooperatives, three wholesale municipal customers and one electric utility.  For more information about Cleco, visit us at www.cleco.com.