PINEVILLE, La. – Cleco is ready for the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season on June 1 and encourages its customers to prepare.

“As part of our commitment to safety and our customers, Cleco prepares throughout the year for extreme weather events, particularly hurricanes.  We are nationally recognized as a National Weather Service Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, meaning we collaborate with NOAA to share preparedness messaging to the public and serve as an example by implementing the best practices when responding to extreme weather events,” said James Lass, Cleco general manager of distribution operations and emergency management. “Hurricane season can be unpredictable, but having a plan in place and taking the necessary precautions ahead of time means that you’re ready no matter when or where a storm hits.”

Cleco reminds customers of the following ways to prepare for hurricane season:

• Make a list of important phone numbers.

• Plan an evacuation route and ensure family members are aware of the route. 

• Prepare a storm kit – gather supplies you might need for an outage, including flashlights, batteries, canned food, manual can opener, bottled water, medication and a first aid kit.

• Plan ahead for special or medical needs, also accounting for your pets.

• Make provisions for a generator, if needed.

• Test generator outside of home to ensure it works.

• Put all important documents in a waterproof container.