PINEVILLE, La. — Approximately 9,700 Cleco customers in St. Tammany, St. Mary, and Washington Parishes were without power as of 2 p.m. due to Hurricane Ida which made landfall in southeast Louisiana earlier today as a category 4 hurricane.
“Crews were working earlier today, but all restoration work in south Louisiana has stopped due to heavy rain and high winds. As soon as the storm passes and conditions are safe, we will begin assessing damage and resume our restoration work,” said Clint Robichaux, manager of distribution operations support.
“Our weather reports indicate the major threats from this storm are flooding due to heavy rainfall and high wind gusts, so we encourage our customers and all those in the affected areas to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their property.”
In addition to Cleco personnel, the company has over 2,000 contractors to assist with storm restoration and will continue to adjust its resources as needed.
Safety tips during and after Hurricane Ida:
- Listen to local radio and TV stations for power outage and restoration status reports.
- If water is rising, turn off electricity at the main breaker, evacuate and stay away until the water has completely receded.
- 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. Don’t exceed the rated capacity of the generator and only refuel when the engine is off and cool.
- Be mindful of the COVID-19 pandemic and make every effort to avoid Cleco work zones.
- Assume all downed lines are live and stay away. Report downed lines immediately by calling 1-800-622-6537 or 911.
Below are Cleco customer power outages due to Hurricane Ida as of 2 p.m.:
St. Tammany Parish – 9,127
St. Mary Parish – 553
Washington Parish – 54
For the most up-to-date outage information, follow the company on Facebook @ClecoPower or visit Cleco’s Storm Center page at cleco.com/storm-center.