Entergy: Power was restored post-Francine at a record-setting pace

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Hurricane Francine brought heavy rains and left hundreds of thousands of Entergy customers without power.

But, in what the company is calling a record-breaking effort, Entergy Louisiana says it restored electricity to all those affected in less than a week.

"Our restoration progress after Hurricane Francine was remarkable for us. It was a record-setting restoration pace. And yeah, as of four days after the storm, day four of restoration, as we call it, all of our customers who were affected from Hurricane Francine are back in lights," said Michelle Bourg, Vice President of Customer Service at Entergy Louisiana.

Bourg explained the factors that contributed to the rapid restoration.

"So, for us, it's all about resiliency. You know, hurricanes are a part of life here in Louisiana, and that's something that we need to plan for to be able to withstand," Bourg said.

She noted that significant upgrades were made following Hurricane Ida.

"Since the 2021 hurricane season, when we replaced a lot of poles after Ida, we've changed all of our engineering standards. We're now building back with bigger poles, stronger poles, and structures that can withstand what we know to expect here in South Louisiana," she added.

FOX 8 spoke with several residents across metro New Orleans who did not lose power during Francine. Among them were Theresa Harvey and her son, who live near each other in Jefferson Parish.

"We didn't lose any power; it kind of flickered off and on. Luckily, we were prepared, and we didn't lose it," Harvey said.

On Grand Isle, a barrier island in lower Jefferson Parish, Mayor David Carmadelle told FOX 8 that 95% of properties retained power, with Entergy restoring power to the remaining 5% within two days.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, expressed his gratitude to those who worked tirelessly to restore electricity.

"We're grateful for the linemen, for the utilities. As soon as the winds died down, they went out and began to work to restore power," Cassidy said.

While Bourg acknowledged the swift restoration efforts, she emphasized that any outage is significant for those affected.

"While we had a record-breaking pace of restoration for this storm, anytime you're without lights, if you're one of the customers that did experience an outage, the pace doesn't really matter much. So, we want to certainly thank our customers for their patience and understanding," Bourg said.

In addition to Entergy crews, utility workers from across the country came to assist with the restoration.

"And a big thank you too to all of the mutual assistance crews that came in. Our workforce swelled to right over 8,000 at the heart of our restoration," Bourg stated.

As meteorologists monitor the NW Caribbean for potential tropical development, Entergy says it remains prepared for whatever the season may bring.

"We stay storm-ready 365 days of the year," Bourg said. "We stand ready for whatever Mother Nature may bring."