PINEVILLE, La. – June 7, 2020 – Approximately 3,500 Cleco customers in St. Tammany Parish were without electricity as of 5 p.m. today, as Tropical Storm Cristobal made landfall in southeast Louisiana. 

“Crews are working and will continue to restore power until conditions become unsafe.  Once the storm has passed, Cleco employees will begin initial damage assessments and resume restoration efforts,” said James Lass, director of distribution operations and emergency management.  “Our weather reports indicate that the major threats from this storm are rainfall, high wind gusts and isolated tornadoes, so we encourage our customers and all those in the affected areas to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their property.”

In addition to Cleco personnel, the company has secured 500 additional line mechanics and 200 vegetation specialists, as well as arranged for logistics like lodging and fuel.

“Because the storm has shifted more to the east, we’ll be able to direct resources from the unaffected areas to impacted areas,” said Lass.  “This is good news, as it does not look like the storm will impact our entire service territory.”

Safety tips during and after Tropical Storm Cristobal:

• Listen to local radio and TV stations for power outage and restoration status reports.
• If water is rising, turn off electricity at the main breaker, evacuate and stay away until the water has completely receded.  
• Generators should be operated outdoors only and in well-ventilated areas.  Plug appliances directly into portable generators with grounded extension cords that can handle the load. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.  Don't exceed the rated capacity of the generator and only refuel when the engine is off and cool.
• Be mindful of the COVID-19 pandemic and make every effort to avoid Cleco work zones. 
• Assume all downed lines are live and stay away.  Report downed lines immediately by calling 1-800-622-6537 or 911.

For additional information on how Cleco is preparing, follow the company on Facebook @ClecoPower. 

Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC is a regional energy holding company that conducts its business operations through its subsidiaries, Cleco Power LLC and Cleco Cajun LLC. Cleco Power is a regulated electric public utility company that owns 10 generating assets with a total nameplate capacity of 3,360 MWs and serves approximately 288,000 customers in Louisiana through its retail business and supplies wholesale power in Louisiana and Mississippi.  Cleco Cajun is an unregulated utility company that owns eight generating assets with a total nameplate capacity of 3,555 MWs, with contracts serving nine Louisiana cooperatives, three wholesale municipal customers and one electric utility.  For more information about Cleco, visit us at www.cleco.com.