South Louisiana Power Outages – Here Are the Places Hurricane Francine Has Knocked Out Power

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - With the approach of Hurricane Francine, some areas of South Louisiana are already starting to lose power. The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, and it will have a big impact on families along the coast.

As the hurricane moves closer to shore, bands of storms are already battering Louisiana's coast, which will lead to power outages in the state.

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The risk of power outages in Louisiana when a hurricane makes landfall is extremely high. Due to the state's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana is particularly vulnerable to powerful storms that can cause widespread damage to infrastructure.

Hurricanes bring strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surges, all of which can knock out power by downing trees, damaging power lines, and flooding electrical substations.

Rural areas and coastal communities often experience extended outages due to the time required for utility companies to assess damage and restore power. In more severe storms, some areas can be without electricity for days or even weeks, depending on the severity of the hurricane's impact and the accessibility of repair crews.

Prolonged outages not only cause inconvenience but can also lead to serious health and safety risks, especially in the heat and humidity of Louisiana’s post-storm conditions.

To mitigate these risks, many residents and businesses invest in backup generators and stock up on emergency supplies, while utility companies pre-stage crews to respond quickly.

However, the potential for long-term outages remains a significant concern for anyone living in hurricane-prone regions of Louisiana.

Entergy, a major power provider in Louisiana, noted on its website that some places could be without power for up to a week.

"Based on historical restoration times, customers in the direct path of a Category 1 hurricane can experience outages for up to seven days, up to 10 days for a Category 2 and up to two weeks for a Category 3," the company said. "Once our workers can access the affected areas, we can begin restoring service to customers by closing circuit breakers, rerouting power and other means. But we must wait until sustained winds are less than 30 mph to use our bucket trucks."

"Significant flooding and other accessibility challenges due to the storm will affect our ability to reach some areas of our territory and could delay restoration in those communities," Entergy also said.

According to PowerOutages.us, there are already some places in south Louisiana starting to lose power, but not many. But as the storm makes landfall, we can expect to see the numbers go out dramatically.

As Hurricane Francine makes landfall, tens of thousands are without power in St. Mary, Terrebonne, Assumption, and Lafourche Parishes, and more parishes are getting impacted as the storm rolls through.

Currently, nearly 73,000 utility customers are without power in south Louisiana. Roughly 27,000 customers are without power in Terrebone Parish, 16,000 in Lafourche, and 19,000 in St. Mary.