OG&E’s team of 150 linemen and support staff returned home safely after a five-day deployment to assist with power restoration efforts in Louisiana.
Line workers restored power for more than 15,000 Entergy Louisiana customers in several parishes in Louisiana including Ascension, Iberville, St. James, and Livingston after Hurricane Francine caused significant damage to the area. The team worked 16-hour days to repair broken poles, cross arms and downed power lines and replace broken transformers. As a result, crews restored power for thousands of customers each day since they were deployed last Wednesday, Sept. 11.
“When a state is heavily impacted by a hurricane, it’s an enormous undertaking to get everything up and running. We are proud of our line workers for rising to the occasion and helping our neighbors,” said Chris Bristol, OG&E Distribution Construction Manager. “We are also humbled by members of our communities consistently encouraging and praising our teams for their hard work. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to help in a meaningful way.”
At Entergy Louisiana’s request, OG&E aided with restoration with crew members and other support personnel from Oklahoma City, Enid, Ardmore, Muskogee, Kellyville, and Fort Smith, Arkansas. While crews were deployed, OG&E continued to monitor and maintain service for customers across the company’s service area in Oklahoma and western Oklahoma.
“Electric companies band together to help customers in need after extreme weather hits – even if those customers aren’t in our state,” said Andrea Dennis, OG&E Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Operations. “Last week, we assisted our neighbors in Louisiana, and in the future, they could be helping us. Mutual assistance provides security and community that prepares us all for any weather event when the unthinkable happens.”
Source: OGE press release
