As of 7 a.m., approximately 53,000 customers across Entergy Louisiana’s service area are without power as a result of winter weather impacting the region. Ice accumulation, freezing temperatures, impassable roads and hazardous road conditions make restoration efforts challenging by slowing access to damaged equipment and creating unsafe working conditions.

Our crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service, and 2,750 restoration resources are staged and ready to respond as conditions allow, with additional resources in route.

Restoring power during winter storms is different from other weather events and requires a careful, step-by-step approach to protect both customers, workers and the electric grid.

Before power can be restored, damage to infrastructure must be assessed.  Damage assessment and restoration work has been slowed by downed vegetation blocking roadways and icy road conditions. Once it is safe to do so, crews begin evaluating damage to power plants, transmission lines, substations and local distribution equipment. In some areas, icy roads and unsafe conditions may delay access.

During extreme cold, power cannot be restored all at once. Many customers leave heating systems and appliances running during an outage, which can create a sudden surge in electricity demand when power is restored. To prevent additional outages or equipment damage, crews restore service one section at a time using a controlled process known as cold load pickup.

We restore customers in a planned and deliberate order. We start with essential services, move on to large neighborhoods and then to individual homes.

Power is first restored to critical community infrastructure and essential services such as hospitals, water treatment plants, police and fire stations, and communication systems.

Next, we restore lines serving large areas of customers, and then we restore neighborhoods. This returns power to the largest number of customers in the shortest amount of time.

Some homes and businesses take longer, as individual customer homes or businesses with damage are often the most time-consuming repairs.

While many customers may be restored relatively quickly, some outages may last longer depending on damage severity, ice conditions and accessibility.

Customer safety and community resources 

Customers should continue to prioritize safety while outages persist.

• Warming centers: Customers in need of shelter and warmth should consider local warming centers or shelters if it is safe to travel. To find a listing of available warming centers, visit GOHSEP’s Louisiana Warming Centers: https://gohsep.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/9d47b24a528f43cf84633a2c04270706

• Road conditions: Please be aware that roads may be hazardous or closed during restoration efforts. Road conditions and closure information can be found here from Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development: https://www.511la.org/

• Generator safety: Never use generators indoors or in and never connect a generator directly to home wiring without proper transfer equipment.
• Heating safety: Never use ovens, grills or outdoor heating devices to heat your home.
• Downed power lines: Always assume downed lines are energized and dangerous — stay away and report them immediately by calling 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) or your local police/fire department.

Ongoing monitoring and workforce readiness

Entergy Louisiana continues to closely monitor weather conditions, grid operations and energy demand. We are coordinating with the regional grid operator and have secured hundreds of additional restoration workers, though the widespread footprint of this storm may limit the availability of outside crews.

Our employees are prepared to work extended hours once conditions are safe, while following strict safety and fatigue-management protocols.

Stay connected

Customers are encouraged to stay informed through Entergy’s Storm Center for real-time outage updates, safety information and restoration progress: www.entergy.com/stormcenter

Download the Entergy app. Customers can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at their home or business.

Check Entergy’s View Outages map. Maps show where outages are located and give information about restoration progress. Outages can be reported using the Entergy mobile app, online at myEntergy.com, or by texting OUT to 36778.

Storm-related updates are also shared on social media.