Residents of Jefferson Parish in Metairie found themselves in the dark and the cold early this week, with more than 8,000 customers losing power amid chilly, wind-whipped conditions. According to WWL, power outages stretched from Clearview Parkway to N. Causeway Blvd., and from W Metairie Ave. to Veterans Blvd.
The issue emerged as part of a pattern of power disruptions in the area, including one affecting about 1,500 customers on Sunday evening, according to information from NOLA.com. Forecasts had warned of strong winds accompanying a cold front, and by Monday morning, temperatures had dropped into the 30s. Entergy crews worked through the conditions to restore power, but the exact cause of the outages was initially unclear, although the high winds were suspected contributors.
Entergy, the utility company responsible, updated customers through its spokespeople, who confirmed operations were in progress to address the situation. "Entergy is aware of outages currently impacting approximately 9,000 customers in Jefferson Parish and elsewhere. Entergy crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. Cause is under investigation at this time," Entergy spokesperson Beau Tidwell said in a statement obtained by WWL.
Throughout these episodes of power loss, Entergy has actively communicated with the public about the impacts and its remediation efforts. For those still without power, the company provided resources and updates: "We are aware of the outage in Jefferson Parish impacting approximately 1,600 customers. Crews are on the scene now working to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible. We anticipate the majority of customers will be restored shortly. Customers can use our view outage map at Entergy.com or the Entergy mobile app for the latest restoration estimates," an Entergy spokesperson conveyed in a statement to WDSU.
