By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

Entergy continues power restoration efforts following last night’s storms, as near hurricane-force winds, severe lightning and flooding have caused massive destruction to the electrical system.

“The impact to our equipment in some areas is more consistent with damage we see following minor hurricanes rather than a typical thunderstorm,” said Stuart Barrett, vice president of customer service for Entergy Texas, Inc.

Winds were reported at more than 70 miles an hour in some areas overnight, with most of the damage experienced in the Port Arthur, Mid County, Winnie, Orange, Vidor, and Beaumont areas.

“Crews are continuing to restore power, and we expect all customers to be restored by Tuesday, said Barrett. “While we work to restore power, we are also closely monitoring another round of potential severe weather on Saturday night.

“We know how vital electricity is for our customers, and we are doing everything we can to safely restore it,” Barrett added. “The amount of damage is significant, so we appreciate your patience, as our dedicated employees work as hard as they can to get the lights back on.”

 Crews have made significant progress around restoring outages today, restoring almost half of the number of customers who lost power overnight. As of 6 p.m., a little over 28,000 customers remain without power, down from more than 55,000 customers at 5:45 a.m.

A majority of the damaged high-voltage transmission lines are expected to be restored overnight, which is a major step in the restoration process.

More than 1,300 workers are working to return power to all customers. However, additional severe weather is expected through Saturday, which could delay restoration efforts and result in additional outages. Estimated times of restoration for all customers who can take power are as follows:

• Orange, Vidor – 10:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11
• Dayton – 8 p.m. Sunday, May 12
• Winnie – 10 p.m. Monday, May 13
• Port Arthur/Mid County Network – 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 14
• Beaumont – 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 14

Updates on individual outages by location are available via the Entergy outage map at entergy.com/viewoutages. A special storm information section also provides more detailed information by network location.

Here’s the process Entergy follows when restoring power:

∙         When restoring service, safety is our key value and always comes first. Then, restoring power is the next order of business.

∙         We restore power to critical community infrastructure and essential services such as hospitals, water treatment plants, police and fire stations, and communication systems. Then we will concentrate our resources on what gets the greatest number of customers restored the fastest.

∙         Please refrain from approaching utility workers at the job site because these can be dangerous locations and interruptions will slow their progress.

∙         We are restoring service even as we continue assessing the damage to our system caused by this storm.

∙         We know you want your power restored and have been hard at work doing so. As we restore power to critical services, we assess the damage and put in place our restoration plan that will restore service to the greatest number of our customers as safely and quickly as possible.

∙         Our scouts assess damage to determine the exact cause of your outage and how long it will take correct the problem.

In addition, you can make sure your home or business is ready for us to restore your power.

∙         Check outside your home or business for damage to your electrical equipment.

∙         If the meter or any of the piping and wires on the outside wall of your home or business is missing or looks damaged, call an electrician to make repairs.

∙         Entergy Storm Center has information to help you know how to spot damages.

 

Orange County Emergency Management (OCEM) is currently monitoring the weather situation; the amount of rainfall that was predicted to be spread over a three-day period fell overnight with six to eight inches severely saturating the soil.  

OCEM will continue to have the risk through Saturday of another two to three inches with some isolated areas receiving up to six6 inches.

There are several road closures due to flooding throughout the County. Residents are asked to take precautions and be aware of barricades.

Sandbags are available at:

• Precinct 1 County Maintenance barn located on North Hwy 87 at North Teal
• Precinct 4 County Maintenance barn located on 375 Claiborne Street

Residents are welcome to bag the sand to use to protect their home from rising water. Bring your own shovel.

National Weather Service in Lake Charles said to expect to see additional street flooding during periods of heavy rain.

“Area rivers are now in minor to moderate flood,” Warning Coordination Meteorologist Roger Erickson said. “Be sure to keep up with changes along the Sabine and Neches Rivers if additional releases of water from the dams are needed over the next several days.”

Southeast Texas homeowners are busy trying to recover from flood damage caused by recent storms. While receding waters may signal the end of a flood, danger and devastation could continue for weeks. Caution and clear thinking in the wake of a flood can help save lives and prevent further property damage.

Allstate encourages you to consider these six tips to ensure personal safety and avoid further damage to homes and property:

• Don’t walk through floodwater, particularly if it’s moving. Currents, even in small amounts of water, can be strong enough to carry you or your vehicle away.
• Drowning and electrocution are the leading causes of death from flooding. Stay away from power lines and electrical wires. Report downed wires to your local utility company or emergency officials. 
• If you had to leave your home and did not turn off your electricity, do it as soon as you return. Do not use electronic devices or appliances that have been damaged by water. 
• Be careful when walking anywhere flood waters have reached, including the floors in your home. Snakes and other small animals often take shelter in homes during floods. Debris such as nails, glass, and sticks can make walking hazardous. 
• Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing sound, open a window and leave. Make sure the gas is turned off at the main valve outside. Only a professional should turn the gas back on when the danger has passed.
• Keep in mind that floodwater usually isn’t clean. Discard spoiled food, wet medicine and cosmetics, and anything else in question.