Pineville, La., Oct. 8, 2020 – As Hurricane Delta is now projected to make landfall between Lake Charles and Lafayette Friday afternoon with 105 mph winds, Cleco is strongly encouraging its customers to make their final storm preparations and take shelter ahead of the storm.

“The intensity of Delta continues to fluctuate as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, but the storm’s track hasn’t changed much in the last 24 hours.  It’s still headed toward the Louisiana coast,” said James Lass, director of distribution operations and emergency management.  “While we don’t know the exact impact areas, landfall is projected between Lake Charles and Lafayette.  Customers in central and south Louisiana should prepare for strong winds, heavy rain, flooding, downed trees and downed power lines.”

To prepare for the storm:

• Cleco activated its storm teams on Monday.
• In addition to Cleco personnel, the company has secured over 1,800 contractors, including distribution line mechanics, vegetation specialists, damage assessors and transmission resources to help restore power after Hurricane Delta passes.
• Cleco also has set up five staging areas across the state, secured lodging for out-of-town workers and made arrangements for fuel and specialized equipment like drones, off-road and high-water vehicles.

To help keep employees and customers safe, some Cleco customer service offices are closed. 

• Crowley, Eunice, Franklin and New Iberia offices closed at noon today.
• Bunkie, Crowley, DeRidder, Eunice, Franklin, New Iberia, Opelousas, Pineville and Ville Platte offices will be closed all day Friday.
• Cleco has 13 customer service offices across the state.

“We strongly encourage everyone to make their final preparations and identify a place to take shelter until the storm has passed,” said Lass.  “As soon as conditions are safe, the company’s focus will be on responding to unsafe electrical situations and restoring power to critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and water systems, and then restoring power to the greatest number of customers until power is restored to all.”  

Customers are encouraged to:

• Have flashlights, a battery-powered radio and extra batteries.
• Make a list of important phone numbers.
• Make sure cell phones and other devices are fully charged.
• Plan for medical or special needs.
• Report power outages by calling 1-800-622-6537 or online through MyAccount at cleco.com.
• Operate portable generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas and plug appliances directly into generators with grounded extension cords. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.
• Assume all downed power lines are live and stay away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 1-800-622-6537 and 911.
• If water is rising, turn off electricity at the main breaker, evacuate and stay away until waters have completely receded.