Hurricane Laura ravages Louisiana and Texas power grids
Laura caused power outages to more than 558,000 Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Texas customers as it hit the area on 27 August.
Image for illustration purposes
USA, Louisiana: Depicted as the strongest storm since the 1800s, hurricane Laura caused power outages to more than 558,000 Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Texas customers as it hit the area on 27 August.
By 29 August, that number dropped to 197,659 and 75,384, respectively, as crews continued working to restore power to homes and businesses that are able to accept it.
To date, 144 transmission lines and 180 substations have been affected in Louisiana, and 57 transmission lines and 53 substations in Texas.
The transmission system is the backbone of the electric grid and helps Entergy move power from the power plant to the lines serving customers’ neighborhoods. These large lines are like the interstate system. Without these lines in service, it makes it difficult to move power across the system to customers in the affected areas.
“We expect the recovery to be as difficult and challenging as we have ever faced in the past. Customers should expect extended power outages lasting weeks,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana.
Power must be first restored to transmission lines and substations in order to energise the distribution lines that bring power into neighborhoods, businesses, and homes.
So far, Entergyy has identified more than 220 structures requiring replacement or repair.
Because the damage to the transmission system is so vast and immense, in many cases special equipment may be used as crews begin to dismantle mangled structures made up of steel, concrete and tensioned wires. Crews may have to perform major construction and repairs across both land and water.
Source: Entergy