NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Entergy New Orleans crews are hard at work in New Orleans East, working to restore power to the estimated 10,415 residents who lost electricity yesterday when an EF3 tornado ripped through the area.
As of noon today, Entergy had restored power to 6,700 customers, leaving approximately 3,700 customers without power in the hardest hit areas, according to Entergy.
By midnight, power had been restored to isolated pockets of approximately 4,000 customers.
More than 250 workers have been in New Orleans East since yesterday afternoon, and the work will continue until power is fully restored.
“We understand that customers who had rebuilt after losing everything during Hurricane Katrina are devastated and are still trying to make sense of the damage left by a tornado,” Entergy New Orleans president and CEO Charles Rice said. “Our crews are working to restore power as quickly as they can, but they must keep safety as their first priority as they try to untangle the mess the tornado left in its wake.”
Customer Service Manager Melonie Stewart says residents in New Orleans East who are waiting for power to be restored should check their meter pan and look at their gas meter. If there is any visible damage, call an electrician and a plumber to make those repairs ahead of time.
When it’s fixed, go to the city, get a permit, then let Entergy know you’re ready for power to be turned back on.
Entergy’s electrical system took a big hit from the tornado, with reports of 160 damaged and downed poles, 100 damaged transformers, 50 downed transmission lines, and 150 spans of downed and damaged wire in need of replacement.
Beyond power restoration work, Entergy is also working with the American Red Cross to hand out emergency kits to residents who lost everything.
“We care about our customers and know many are struggling to deal with the reality of having everything they own destroyed in an instant,” Rice said. “We’re not immune. We all know friends, family and co-workers who live in New Orleans East. That’s why we’re glad to do what we can to provide the basics to those who need it most until they can make sense of the devastation.”
