October 13, 2020, 6:00 p.m. EDT

More than 18,500 workers from at least 27 states continue to work day and night to restore power to the customers and communities that were impacted by Hurricane Delta. As of 5:00 p.m. EDT, approximately 95,800 customers were without power as a result of Delta in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, down from a peak of nearly 824,000.* Crews already have restored power to nearly 90 percent of all impacted customers who are able to receive power, less than four days after the storm made landfall.

Electric companies in the path of Delta started to prepare last week by prepositioning crews, resources, and equipment to respond to any power outages when and where they can, provided it is safe to do so. Industry and government are coordinating at the highest levels through the CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) to ensure an effective and efficient response.

The energy grid is highly interconnected, and just because customers do not see crews in their neighborhoods or on their streets does not mean that they are not working to restore power. Customers should not touch any electrical equipment that was damaged during the storm. In some cases, customers may need to have a licensed electrician inspect their equipment before power can be restored. An example of this would be a tree falling on the part of a home where wires connect to the house.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, crews also must follow additional safety protocols that may slow restoration processes.

We know that being without electricity creates hardships, and we appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding. We also know that many customers impacted by Hurricane Delta also were impacted by Hurricane Laura, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. Electric companies will not stop their storm restoration efforts until the last customer who can receive power is restored.

To ensure safety, customers should:

• Stay away from standing water and downed or sagging power lines. Treat all fallen wires and anything touching them as though they are energized.
• Never use a generator inside a home, garage, crawl space, or anywhere exhaust fumes can enter into enclosed spaces. Plug appliances directly into the generator; do not connect them to your home’s circuits.
• Never place a burning candle near anything that could catch fire or leave one unattended. Extinguish candles before going to sleep.
• Allow restoration workers and other first responders to do their jobs. Stay off roads, beaches, and waterways, and avoid returning home until state emergency officials have indicated it is safe to do so. Having roadways clogged with traffic will only impede restoration efforts.
• Never approach crews, and please remember the importance of social distancing so our mission-essential workers can continue to work safely.

*It is important to remember that outages measure customer meters impacted, not the number of individuals without power. Due to the nature of the storm, customers may have experienced more than one outage.

October 13, 2020, 6:00 p.m. EDT

More than 18,500 workers from at least 27 states continue to work day and night to restore power to the customers and communities that were impacted by Hurricane Delta. As of 5:00 p.m. EDT, approximately 95,800 customers were without power as a result of Delta in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, down from a peak of nearly 824,000.* Crews already have restored power to nearly 90 percent of all impacted customers who are able to receive power, less than four days after the storm made landfall.

Electric companies in the path of Delta started to prepare last week by prepositioning crews, resources, and equipment to respond to any power outages when and where they can, provided it is safe to do so. Industry and government are coordinating at the highest levels through the CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) to ensure an effective and efficient response.

The energy grid is highly interconnected, and just because customers do not see crews in their neighborhoods or on their streets does not mean that they are not working to restore power. Customers should not touch any electrical equipment that was damaged during the storm. In some cases, customers may need to have a licensed electrician inspect their equipment before power can be restored. An example of this would be a tree falling on the part of a home where wires connect to the house.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, crews also must follow additional safety protocols that may slow restoration processes.

We know that being without electricity creates hardships, and we appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding. We also know that many customers impacted by Hurricane Delta also were impacted by Hurricane Laura, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. Electric companies will not stop their storm restoration efforts until the last customer who can receive power is restored.

To ensure safety, customers should:

• Stay away from standing water and downed or sagging power lines. Treat all fallen wires and anything touching them as though they are energized.
• Never use a generator inside a home, garage, crawl space, or anywhere exhaust fumes can enter into enclosed spaces. Plug appliances directly into the generator; do not connect them to your home’s circuits.
• Never place a burning candle near anything that could catch fire or leave one unattended. Extinguish candles before going to sleep.
• Allow restoration workers and other first responders to do their jobs. Stay off roads, beaches, and waterways, and avoid returning home until state emergency officials have indicated it is safe to do so. Having roadways clogged with traffic will only impede restoration efforts.
• Never approach crews, and please remember the importance of social distancing so our mission-essential workers can continue to work safely.

*It is important to remember that outages measure customer meters impacted, not the number of individuals without power. Due to the nature of the storm, customers may have experienced more than one outage.