Insights > Entergy Louisiana Recognizes National Preparedness Month

Entergy Louisiana Recognizes National Preparedness Month

06/11/2018

National Preparedness Month is a good time for us to remember that regardless of where we live – as far south as Cocodrie, as far north as Monroe or in a major city like New Orleans – hurricane season is a threat to all Louisianans.

Ten years ago, on Sept. 1, Hurricane Gustav impacted our state with Hurricane Ike following approximately two weeks later.

Gustav was a wind event that impacted a large geographical area – entering the southeast region of Louisiana and exiting the northwest corner of the state. Gustav caused approximately 829,000 outages – the second-largest number of outages in the history of Entergy. Only Hurricane Katrina caused more outages.

In Louisiana, Gustav and Ike required the repair or replacement of 312 substations, 245 transmission lines, 11,654 distribution poles, 595 miles of wire and 5,207 transformers.  

It Only Takes One

While we hope that no tropical weather events threaten our area, it only takes one storm event to turn the season into a disastrous one, which means we all need to be prepared every season, regardless of the predictions.

Here’s How We Prepare

We know the chance of being hit by a hurricane in any given year is very real. That’s why we have a plan of continuous preparation, training and action called Operation: Storm Ready.

That plan calls for monitoring weather around the clock every day of the year. When weather threatens, Entergy uses forecasts, computer modeling and past experience to form early predictions about potential power outages and how long restoration might take.

We assess our ability to bring in and sustain thousands of restoration workers from around the country, if needed. Assessing damage, deploying personnel to the right place with the right materials and restoring power are all processes that we continually plan and improve.

Here’s How You Can Prepare, Too

We have a number of ways to keep you informed before, during and after a storm. As you finalize your personal storm plans, make sure you are aware of all of the ways to receive information from us and send information to us:

  • An app is available for iPhone or Android at entergyapp.com. You can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at your home or business.
  • Entergy’s View Outages website includes maps that show where outages are located and provides information about restoration progress.
  • Entergy sends and can receive text messages about storm and restoration efforts. You can sign up by texting REG to 368374.
  • The Entergy Storm Center website has storm safety, preparation and restoration information that is updated throughout the day.
  • Operation: Storm Ready is a free, downloadable guide that helps you plan and prepare for weather emergencies.
  • Social media plays an important role in keeping you informed, and we place a high priority on keeping our social media sites updated throughout an event. Follow Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans on Twitter: @EntergyLA or @EntergyNOLA. You also can follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/EntergyLA or facebook.com/EntergyNOLA.

                

Stay Safe!

While we hope for the best, we plan for the worst. With plans in place, together we should be ready to weather any storm that comes our way.


Louisiana Editorial Team