SLEMCO and LUS Provide Power Restoration Progress Update for Lafayette Parish

Significant strides have been made in restoring power across Lafayette Parish, where a severe weather event caused widespread damage, including downed trees and power lines. SLEMCO and Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) report substantial progress following concerted overnight efforts to address outages affecting tens of thousands of customers.

At the height of the storm, over 40,000 SLEMCO customers across Acadiana were without electricity. This number has now been reduced to less than 10,000, with fewer than 5,000 in Lafayette Parish alone.

Both SLEMCO and LUS have collaborated closely, particularly in addressing a major incident in which lightning struck a tree on Vincent Road in Lafayette Parish, causing extensive damage to a feeder and affecting customers from both utilities.

Overnight, crews from both LUS and SLEMCO, supplemented by contract and mutual aid workers, labored tirelessly. LUS has restored power to over 70 percent of the initial 7,500 reported outages, with approximately 1,900 pending. Efforts have occasionally been hampered by physical obstacles such as fallen trees and broken poles.

LUS Fiber has also made notable progress, having reinstated service to more than 70 percent of affected customers, leaving around 1,116 still without service. The public has been advised to exercise caution around traffic lights that remain out of service, treating such intersections as four-way stops.

The Lafayette Police Department confirms no road closures, aiding the restoration efforts. Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) urges the public to maintain a safe distance from all restoration sites to ensure the safety of workers and the community.

Residents must remain patient and cooperative as crews restore the remaining services. Updates will continue to be provided as more areas return online and recovery from this disruptive weather event progresses.