To our customers across North Louisiana who are still without power following the recent winter storm,
First and most importantly, thank you. Thank you for your patience, your resilience and the care you continue to show one another during an incredibly difficult circumstance. Winter storms of this magnitude test every part of our communities. Yet time and again we see neighbors helping neighbors, families opening their homes and local leaders stepping up. We are proud to serve communities with this kind of strength and heart.
I also want to recognize our restoration teams – numbering over 4,500 workers – who are working around the clock. Many of them are away from their own families, enduring the same conditions, long hours and hazardous environments to restore service as safely and quickly as possible. Their commitment is extraordinary, and I know our entire company shares my deep respect and gratitude for the work they’re doing. In my 40 years, this is the worst ice storm I have ever witnessed on our electrical system, and the dedication I’m seeing from our teams in these conditions is nothing short of remarkable.
I want you to know while we continue to work with a sense of urgency, our teams are confronting significant challenges in the field that are slowing progress. In some of the hardest hit areas – Lake Providence, Transylvania, Oak Grove, Pioneer, Darnell, Tallulah, Rayville, West Monroe and Oak Ridge, to name a few – restoration efforts have been met with significant operational challenges. Terrain conditions – including saturated ground and standing water throughout entire sections of line – require specialized track equipment for safe access and equipment deployment.
Additionally, ongoing environmental conditions continue to create dynamic challenges. Even after initial scouting and damage assessment, continued tree failures are bringing down additional poles and spans, resulting in new damage discoveries and additional outages as crews pursue their work. Many locations require special vehicles simply to traverse muddy, water-ridden line sections before repairs can even begin.
Even with these obstacles, every available resource is focused on restoration, and mutual assistance crews continue to support our local teams.
Safety is a core value and always comes first – for our customers, our communities and the men and women restoring power. We will not compromise safety, but we are relentlessly committed to moving forward as conditions allow. Each repair, no matter how small it may seem, brings us one step closer to full restoration.
We are grateful for the trust you place in us, and we do not take that responsibility lightly. Please know we are with you through this, and we will continue working until every customer is restored.
On behalf of everyone at Entergy Louisiana, thank you for your patience, your understanding, and the spirit of community that defines North Louisiana. We will continue to keep you informed and will not stop until the job is done.
Thank you,
Phillip May
President and CEO
Entergy Louisiana