UPDATE: 10,500 still without power following Monday’s storm system

Entergy Louisiana crews and contractors are making steady progress on day two of power restoration following a storm system that heavily impacted the Interstate 10 corridor between Calcasieu and East Baton Rouge parishes, bringing high winds and tornadoes.

Crews aim to restore power to most customers who can safely accept service by late tomorrow night, with isolated groups in the hardest-hit areas possibly extending into Friday.

The National Weather Service’s field surveys identified impact from straight-line winds in Pointe Coupee Parish and tornadic activity near Livonia, Sulphur, Westlake, Lake Charles and Henderson.

The storm’s aftermath left downed trees and limbs, causing damage to power lines and electric equipment. Despite 10,500 customers still without power, significant progress has been made across all affected regions.

A storm team of about 1,560 personnel, including tree trimmers, line workers, and support staff, is actively engaged in restoration efforts statewide.

Damage assessments have revealed approximately 150 poles, 360 spans of wire, 60 transformers and 170 crossarms in need of repair or replacement. Vegetation crews have been essential due to hundreds of cases of falling trees and limbs.

In Calcasieu Parish, most of Vinton has been restored, with ongoing efforts in Sulphur, Lake Charles, and areas like Maplewood. In Acadiana, crews are working across Lafayette, tackling challenges like backyard equipment usage. Henderson, also in Acadiana, requires extensive line work due to tornadic activity.

In the Greater Baton Rouge area, crews are narrowing in on the hardest-hit locations, with some cases necessitating preliminary tree trimming and backyard equipment use. While communities like Maringouin and Rosedale in the Highway 411 corridor between Livonia and Grosse Tete have been restored, line work in Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes is extensive and ongoing, including offroad in cane fields. In addition, there is a heavy presence of utility crews in the Crestview area of Plaquemine where a combination of vegetation and line work is taking place.