PINEVILLE, La. – Cleco is preparing for possible outages south of Alexandria and north of Interstate 10 due to ice accumulation based on recent weather reports.  There also is a danger of snow accumulation and possible outages north of Alexandria to Mansfield.
“Cleco is prepared for potential outages,” said Anthony Bunting, vice president of customer service and energy delivery.  “We have approximately 300 contractors either on site or traveling to our area.  All members of Cleco’s storm team are on standby, including about 500 line mechanics and support staff.”

Cleco urges everyone to watch for downed power lines if outages occur.  The company stresses that downed lines could be energized and dangerous. 

“The weight of the ice or snow may not break our lines but could make them sag into other objects,” said Bunting.  “Stay away from low or sagging power lines and anything the lines may be touching.“

Cleco also reminds customers to use generators safely.  Generators should not be plugged directly into a home’s wall outlet. Appliances should be plugged into the generator, which should be operated only in well-ventilated areas away from combustible material.

To report an outage, Cleco customers should call 1-800-622-6537.  To report a dangerous situation with electricity, customers should call 911 or Cleco’s toll-free number.