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Entergy updates restoration times: See when you could have power

2 years 6 months 3 weeks ago Saturday, September 04 2021 Sep 4, 2021 September 04, 2021 7:01 PM September 04, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - For Entergy customers, frustration continues to grow as some are going on four days with no power.

Entergy New Orleans issued a series of estimated power restoration times Friday. According to this timetable, Baton Rouge Metro- East Baton Rouge has an estimated time of restoration of September 6.

The timetable gave Gonzales and Denham Springs an estimated restoration time of September 7. 

Check here for restoration updates from DEMCO

In addition to the estimated times of restoration mentioned above, a Friday morning phone call with Entergy revealed that many people in East Baton Rouge can actually expect lights Friday.

This doesn't change the September 6 estimated time of restoration issued by Entergy New Orleans, but simply adds to it that a number of homes will also get power as early as Friday.  

Entergy went on to say during the Friday phone call that 70 percent of all assessments have been completed and 225,000 customers have been restored.

The company added that Washington Parish has been repaired, an area that powers a large part of the region.

A day ahead of this announcement, WBRZ asked Entergy spokesperson David Freese why residents hadn't seen much progress.

"The thing is, you cannot energize homes and businesses on the distribution level until you get the transmission system back online," Freese said.

Areas with police stations, hospitals and water treatment systems are restored first.

"Interstates, high-voltage transmission lines, on and off ramps to the sub-stations and then the roads leading up to homes and businesses are these distribution lines. All of that has to be worked on simultaneously in order to bring the electric system back to its complete restoration," Freese said.

The main issue is trees falling across powerlines and snapping utility poles, bringing them to the ground. When it comes to some neighborhoods having power before others, Freese says it's not about picking one over the other.

"It's not that we prioritize that neighborhood. It's just that critical infrastructure is part of our prioritization, and sometimes there are residential areas that are connected to our particular circuit," Freese said.

It's also harder for some who live in more rural areas. But for those in Ascension and Livingston parishes, help could take a little longer.

"With the amount of tree damage, it's just unbelievable, so we have to have our tree trimmers come in and actually be able to cut the limbs and trees from our lines in order for us to actually pick up those lines, set new poles, and hang new wire in the air," Freese said.

Entergy says if its outage map shows green in your area but you're without power, to call in and report the outage.

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