Winter Storm Fern leaves Cleco customers without power
Company secures additional resources to assist with restoration
Winter Storm Fern moved across the central and northern areas of Cleco’s service territory yesterday and overnight causing power outages for nearly 17,000 customers.
Winter Storm Fern Power Outages as of 11 a.m.
| Parish | Number of customers without power |
|---|---|
| Allen | 6 |
| Avoyelles | 1,949 |
| Desoto | 4,187 |
| Evangeline | 222 |
| Grant | 2,609 |
| Natchitoches | 83 |
| Rapides | 2,753 |
| Red River | 1,276 |
| Sabine | 3,111 |
| St. Tammany | 508 |
| Vernon | 93 |
| Total | 16,797 |
“The majority of the outages are in north and central Louisiana which were the hardest hit parishes. So, we’re moving Cleco resources from non-impacted areas to impacted areas to assist with clearing fallen limbs and power restoration,” said Clint Robichaux, director of distribution operations and reliability. “In addition to all Cleco personnel, we added new resources today for a total of roughly 500 contractors.”
Reasons for power outages during ice and snow:
- Trees can become heavy and brittle due to the accumulation of ice and snow, breaking and falling onto power lines.
- Power lines and other equipment can become damaged due to the weight of ice and snow on the system.
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.
Resources
In addition to all Cleco personnel, the company has 495 additional contractor resources working on restoration efforts.
For the most up to date information on Winter Storm Fern, visit Cleco’s Storm Center page on www.cleco.com/stormcenter and follow the company on Facebook @ClecoPower.