Cleco is already making preparations as Tropical Storm Francine makes its way to south Louisiana Wednesday afternoon.

According to a prepared statement, the company has secured approximately 1,700 distribution and transmission contractor resources, including line mechanics, damage assessors and vegetation specialists.

“We’re also closely following our Emergency Response Plan by setting up staging areas to house materials and supplies, securing lodging for out-of-area workers, and making sure specialized equipment like helicopters, drones and off-road vehicles are on standby, if needed,” Clint Robichaux, director of distribution operations and reliability said. “All of this will help us quickly and safely restore power to our customers after the storm passes.”

Cleco also reminds customers to finalize their plans ahead of Tropical Storm Francine’s expected landfall.

“In Louisiana, we know from experience that hurricanes can cause loss of property and life, so we have to take each storm seriously and prepare in advance,” Robichaux said. “Cleco is preparing and encourages our customers to do the same.”

For storm safety tips and information on how Cleco is preparing, visit Cleco.com or follow the company on Facebook at facebook.com/ClecoPower.