Pineville, La., Oct. 7, 2020 – In addition to Cleco personnel, the company has secured 1,861 contractor workers, including distribution line mechanics, vegetation specialists, damage assessors and transmission resources, ahead of Hurricane Delta’s expected landfall along the Louisiana coast on Friday.   

“While there’s still a good deal of uncertainty on how strong Hurricane Delta will be, it continues to track towards the Louisiana coast.  It’s looking more likely that it will impact much of our service territory,” said James Lass, director of distribution operations and emergency management.  “As of this afternoon, the storm is projected to make landfall Friday afternoon with winds as strong as 100 mph which could cause widespread power outages.”

Hurricane Delta threatens to be the second hurricane to hit Cleco’s service territory in less than six weeks.  Cleco wrapped up restoration work from Hurricane Laura in mid-September.

“Having two major hurricanes back-to-back in much of the same area that was impacted by Hurricane Laura can be challenging, but Cleco is ready to respond,” said Lass.  “We encourage our customers to be ready as well.  Prepare now and be mindful of the COVID-19 pandemic when developing your plan.  Take the necessary steps to protect your family and your property.”

Customers are encouraged to:

• Prepare a storm kit.  Gather supplies you might need for an outage, including a flashlight, batteries, canned food, manual can opener, bottled water, medication and a first aid kit.
• Clear patio furniture and other objects that could move in high winds and cause damage or injury.
• Charge cell phones, tablets and laptops.
• Test run portable generators.  Do not connect portable generators to your home’s electrical wiring and never operate a generator in an enclosed space like a garage.