Thousands Without Power in Acadiana, Damage Reported After Severe Weather Strikes

The severe weather system that swept through Acadiana has left a trail of destruction, with thousands of residents without power and numerous roads blocked by fallen debris. Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) reports that over 7,000 of its customers in Lafayette are currently without electricity. SLEMCO is also dealing with similar outages, affecting nearly 7,000 customers, with damage reports pouring in across the region.

UPDATE 5/14 8:00 AM:

SLEMCO and LUS are reporting substantial progress following concerted overnight efforts to address outages. See the latest in an update post here.

UPDATE 5/13 10:00 PM:

As of the latest update, LUS has successfully restored power to over 60 percent of the 7,500 affected customers, with approximately 2,800 homes and businesses still awaiting service restoration. The efforts have been bolstered by both LUS and contract crews and mutual aid from neighboring utilities.

All main electrical feeders have been repaired, and crews are now focusing on restoring the smaller tap lines. Despite the progress, numerous reports of downed trees have affected roads and power lines and caused structural damage to homes throughout Lafayette.

LCG departments, including Police, Fire, Utilities, Drainage, Traffic, Roads and Bridges, OHSEP, and LUS Fiber, actively respond to service calls. The Lafayette Police Department has confirmed no current road closures, helping facilitate a quicker restoration process.

LCG urges the public to stay safe from all active work areas. The presence of LCG personnel working on restoration is critical, and public safety remains a priority as teams work diligently to restore services across the city.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Reports from SLEMCO detail significant weather-related incidents, including downed poles in Kaplan, hail damage southwest of Abbeville, and two vehicles blown off the road in Acadia Parish. Residents have reported loss of shingles and downed trees in various areas. Meteorologists have recorded exceptionally high wind velocities, reaching up to 110 mph in St. Martin Parish and sustaining in the 70s and 80s in most other affected areas.

Crews are actively working on restoring power where winds have subsided and are prepared to move into other areas as conditions improve. SLEMCO emphasizes the importance of safety, urging residents to assume all downed lines are live and to report any observed damage directly. The outage management system's temporary shutdown has rerouted outage reports to a secondary contact number, as the main lines are currently overwhelmed.

KATC Chief Meteorologist Rob Perillo confirms the widespread damage, noting "damaging winds across many areas of Acadiana and numerous reports of trees down in Lafayette and the parish itself."

The severity of the weather has led to closures and advisories across the region, leaving over 60,000 without power statewide.

The Iberia Parish sheriff's office advises residents to avoid unnecessary travel as crews work to clear blocked roads. Notable obstructions include sections of Hwy 88 near Dollar General, the intersection of Old LA 25 and Jasper Road, Hwy 182 and Hwy 88, and North Estis Road.

Residents are urged to stay off the roads and to follow updates from local utilities and emergency services in the aftermath of this severe weather event.

Photos of storm damage continue to roll in on social media.