Power outages spread across parts of Jefferson and Orleans parishes on Monday, leaving over 8,000 customers in the dark. The loss of electrical supply, which Entergy confirmed happened around 7 a.m., affected areas spanning from Bark Street in Harvey to Patterson Drive in Algiers. Entergy has pinpointed the Gretna Substation as the epicenter of the disruptions, as reported by WGNO.
The majority of those impacted were located in Jefferson Parish with Entergy officials reporting 6,702 customers affected, and an additional 2,851 affected in Orleans Parish. Entergy is actively working to quickly restore power, with a company statement noting, "Crews are on site now working to restore customers as quickly and as safely as possible. We’ll provide more information as it becomes available,". This statement was obtained by WGNO.
In an unexpected twist, an animal was to blame for the outage, causing an electrical short that resulted in considerable equipment damage. While the species of the animal was not disclosed, the mishap has left more than 12,000 customers awaiting the return of their electrical service across the Westbank. WDSU shared a comment from Entergy, stating, "Entergy confirmed to WDSU that an animal caused an electrical short and damaged equipment."
The power outages predominantly affected the West Bank of New Orleans, with Entergy officials declaring over 3,000 customers in the area were without power as of 7:50 a.m. The timeframe for restoration remains uncertain, though Entergy has committed to working nonstop with crews on the ground to bring back electricity as soon as feasibly possible. "The majority of customers power will be restored by noon," Entergy assures, suggests a press release accessed via WDSU.com.
As the investigation into the exact cause behind the outage continues, the affected residents are to likely face a morning without the amenities electric service provides. Entergy has not provided additional information on the affected regions' restoration times beyond their initial noon estimate.
