Pineville, La., Oct. 10, 2020 (6 a.m. update) – Hurricane Delta made landfall yesterday and moved across the state overnight, leaving nearly 125,000 Cleco customers without power, according to initial reports.   

In addition to Cleco personnel, the company has a storm workforce of roughly 2,100 contractors, which includes damage assessors, distribution line mechanics, distribution and transmission vegetation specialists and transmission contractors, ready to assess damage, clear debris and restore power. 

“The safety of our crews, contractors and customers is priority in everything we do.  Now that the storm has passed and conditions are improving, damage assessments will begin by land and air, and crews will begin making any necessary system repairs and restoring power,” said James Lass,” director of distribution operations and emergency management.  “We follow our storm restoration plan, focusing our efforts on critical infrastructure such as water and sewage systems, hospitals and medical facilities, and then moving to the circuits with the largest number of customers until power is restored to all customers.”

Below are customer outages by parish as of 6 a.m.

“One of the most dangerous parts of a storm is oftentimes right after it passes,” said Lass.  “Downed power lines and areas of debris should be avoided.” 

Customers are encouraged to follow the safety tips below after a storm:

• Operate generators in well-ventilated areas, away from combustible material and keep free of oil, mud and other foreign matter. 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• If water is rising, turn off electricity at the main breaker, evacuate and stay away until waters have completely receded. Have a licensed electrician check the wiring before using electricity.

Customers can find the latest storm updates on the company’s Storm Center page at cleco.com and Cleco’s Facebook page @ClecoPower.