Cleco crews restore power to 97 percent of customers who can receive power

PINEVILLE, La. – (8:30 p.m.) – Cleco crews are close to wrapping up power restoration work after a tornado knocked out power to more than 9,000 homes and businesses in central Louisiana on Monday afternoon.

The U.S. National Weather Service in Lake Charles confirmed that an EF3 tornado went through central Louisiana on Monday with wind speeds between 140 and 160 mph.

“The tornado was strong enough to knock down trees, snap utility poles in half, and sever a lot of power lines,” said James Lass, general manager of distribution operations and emergency management. “The remaining power outages are in areas with significant damage off of Hwy. 28 West in Alexandria. We hope to restore power to the remaining customers who can receive power tonight and tomorrow.”

As of 8:30 p.m., Cleco had restored power to 9,227 of the 9,500 customers who lost electricity after the tornado. Customers whose home and or business were damaged by the storm will have to make repairs before their service can be restored. Cleco cannot energize the service until repairs are made by a licensed electrician.

“We’re grateful for the assistance we received, and we appreciate our customers’ patience,” said Lass. “Our crews have been working day and night to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.”

For updates, follow Cleco on Facebook at @ClecoPower.