SLEMCO is making final preparations ahead of Hurricane Delta, which is predicted to make landfall on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast on Friday. With a little more than 48 hours to go before Delta’s arrival, current track projections indicate that SLEMCO’s service area will take a direct hit.
The company is ready with extra materials and equipment. Several hundred electric contractors have been brought onboard to help SLEMCO employees restore power knocked out during the storm.
All customers should make immediate plans and be prepared. The National Hurricane Center is currently predicting the storm could possibly be a Category 3 hurricane or higher, as it reaches Louisiana’s coast.
SLEMCO crews will work outages as Delta moves in, until winds make it unsafe to continue. That’s typically about 30-35 mph. After the storm passes, crews will begin working outages as soon as winds die down to that same threshold.
“Everyone should be checking supplies and making an evacuation plan now for their family,” said SLEMCO Spokesperson Mary Laurent. “Evacuating is particularly important for those in low-lying areas, or those who have medical conditions and rely on power for medical equipment. We will restore power as quickly and safely as possible, but all families should plan to be self-sustaining for an extended timeframe.”
SLEMCO provides power to over 109,000 customers in Acadia, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion Parishes.