Power outages in, near Baton Rouge after strong storms hit Louisiana

Bonnie Bolden
·4 min read

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Thousands of people are without power in Louisiana as of 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14 after severe weather swept across the state.

According to an Entergy Louisiana outage map, over 25,000 customers are without power in Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes.

The DEMCO outage map showed a little over 3,000 residents without power in Livingston, East Baton Rouge, Ascension, St. Helena and East Feliciana parishes.

Entergy released this statement on Tuesday morning after the severe weather went through Louisiana.

“Entergy crews and contractors are actively assessing damages and restoring power after an intense storm system swept across South Louisiana. In addition to reports of possible tornadic activity in Calcasieu Parish, the storm brought lightning and high winds exceeding 60 mph, resulting in power outages for approximately 92,700 customers at its peak.

“Through overnight efforts, substantial progress has been made, with the number of customers without power reduced to about 49,600 by 7:30 a.m., accounting for nearly 46% of those affected. This progress was achieved through various measures, including field switching, which involves isolating damaged portions of the electric system and rerouting power to maximize restoration efforts before extensive field work is required.

“The hardest-hit areas are concentrated along the Interstate 10 corridor, stretching from Vinton west of Lake Charles to East Baton Rouge. Early field reports indicate damage to trees, limbs, and power lines, with potential need for tree trimming to clear vegetation before lineworkers can safely begin repairs. Crews from less affected regions are being redeployed to assist in storm-impacted areas to expedite restoration efforts.

“Efforts are underway to provide estimated restoration times as damage assessments progress and additional information is gathered.

“As customers venture out to assess their surroundings, Entergy urges you to keep your distance from any downed electric equipment like power lines and report it to the company at 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243).

“For those utilizing portable generators, please adhere to manufacturer guidelines to prevent safety hazards. Generators should not be used indoors or plugged directly into home wiring to avoid backfeed, which poses risks to utility workers and the public.

“In cases where power has been restored to an area but not individual homes, damage assessment may reveal issues such as damage to the weatherhead, which requires repairs by a qualified electrician before Entergy can reconnect service.”

Entergy Louisiana

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DEMCO provided an update around 12 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14. They released this statement with details about the restoration process.

“DEMCO reports significant damage in East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes following last night’s severe weather, which brought heavy winds and lightning. At the peak of the storm, 17,000 outages were reported.

Through various measures including isolation of damaged portions of the electric system and rerouting power to maximize restoration efforts, outages were reduced to 7,677 by 8:10 p.m.

DEMCO crews worked through the night and at noon report outages of 3,175.

The most severe damage occurred in Zachary, Baker and Port Hudson areas of East Baton Rouge, and Oak Forest, Port Vincent areas in Livingston. Large trees and winds exceeding 60 mph took out significant portions of the electric infrastructure, requiring the installation of new poles, lines, and transformers to restore service. These areas will experience longer restoration times due to the extensive damage.

Mutual aid crews from Washington St. Tammany Electric Co-op, South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association, and Claiborne Electric Co-op are assisting with the restoration efforts.

For your safety and the safety of all crews working on storm damage and outage restoration, please follow these following tips:

  • Do not go near downed power lines and treat them like they are live.

  • If you have a portable generator, refrain from connecting it to your home electrical system

  • Stay away from work zones and linemen who are attempting to bring back power.

Please do not enter work zones or approach linemen working as they work to restore power safely.

To view outages and track restoration progress, visit DEMCO.org/storm-center.”

The Storm Tracker team at BRProud has the latest severe weather updates and forecasts. Follow brproud.com/weather for what you need to know to be ready and stay safe.

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