Cleco says 98 percent of customer service restored statewide

Published 4:44 pm Tuesday, July 16, 2019

As of 4 p.m., a Cleco spokesman said the utility has restored power to nearly 62,000 of the 63,000 Cleco customers who lost power following Tropical Storm Barry.

“We have over 400 line mechanics, 125 tree trimmers and 30 damage assessors still working to get the lights on for the remaining customers,” said James Lass, general manager of distribution operations and emergency management. 

The utility had damage to 21 of the 30 distribution lines in the Teche Area as a result of Tropical Storm Barry in addition to thousands of local outages from blown transformers, fallen tree limbs and damaged poles. 

Early in the restoration process, high winds, flood waters and road closures were obstacles to the company’s restoration efforts. Now, challenges to the restoration process include the need for specialized equipment, like airboats, to reach some of the more remote areas and reconnect Cleco’s remaining customers.

“We thank our customers for their support and patience as crews work to safely restore power,” said Lass.