The 150 Oklahoma Gas and Electric line workers and support personnel sent to Louisiana last week prior to the arrival of Hurricane Francine remain there helping bring back power on for thousands of residents.
The Category 2 hurricane made landfall on Wednesday just as the Oklahoma OGE personnel arrived. They went to work Thursday in Gonzales, Louisiana, southeast of Baton Rouge. The region was hit with heavy flooding and significant wind damage. Crews focused on repairing broken poles and cross arms, replacing broken transformers, and repairing downed power lines. OG&E’s tree trimming crews were also helping clear downed trees and branches from the community.
A Friday update from OGE indicated the team has made significant strides with restoration and restored electricity for approximately 3,800 Entergy Louisiana customers through Thursday. They will continue working to get the power back on for more homes and businesses.
“We know there are many still without power, and we are working to make sure we can get it back on as quickly and safely as possible,” said Chad Guthrie, OG&E Director of Distribution Construction. “I’m grateful to our crews on the ground who are bringing their work ethic and expertise to help the community in Louisiana.”
Entergy Louisiana requested support ahead of Hurricane Francine, and OG&E deployed on Wednesday in anticipation of widespread outages in south and southeast Louisiana.
A report by WDSU TV 6 news indicated the storm initially left about 400,000 people without power but as of the weekend, some 15,400 customers of Entergy Louisiana were still without electrical power. The outages are said to be in the coastal areas of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes which were hit hardest by strong winds and heavy rain. The utility hoped to have 95% of its customers in the state to have power restored by Saturday evening.
“Our crews were prepared to provide their support and expertise to the Louisiana communities affected by Hurricane Francine,” said Andrea Dennis, OG&E Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Operations. “I’m inspired by our crew’s commitment and willingness to help our neighbors. We’re energized by the opportunity to restore power in challenging conditions and help communities recover in the wake of the hurricane.”
The team of OG&E restoration crew members and other support personnel from Oklahoma City, Enid, Ardmore, Muskogee, Kellyville, and Fort Smith, Arkansas will keep working power restoration until Entergy Louisiana releases crews. If more assistance is needed, OG&E may rotate in additional crews. OG&E crews and restoration personnel will remain across the company’s service area in Oklahoma and western Arkansas to monitor and maintain service for customers.