Louisiana
‘Gutted’: Line Crews Rebuild Systems in Wake of Louisiana Tornadoes
As electric cooperatives celebrate Lineworker Appreciation Day in April, devastating tornadoes in Louisiana served as a hazardous reminder as to why they deserve recognition.
Just about every cooperative along the Gulf Coast was touched by thunderstorms and strong winds on April 10. The heaviest damage occurred in Louisiana, where tornadoes spiraled through the territories of DEMCO and Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative, causing outages for more than 40,000 members of the two co-ops at peak.
Severe weather also was responsible for a large, fallen tree that crashed onto to a truck driven by a DEMCO employee on an assessment assignment. Fortunately, the driver was treated for minor injuries.
But the incident and the mass of broken poles and downed wires untangled by hundreds of lineworkers reinforced the skill level needed to deal with storm damage and destruction.
“It is amazing to see how crews rebuilt massive electric infrastructure, such as new transmission and distribution poles, lines, and transformers, to reinstate service in a matter of four days,” said Anne Hawes, manager of member and public relations at Greenwell Springs-based DEMCO.
The combination of 110-mph winds and rains knocked out power to about 26,000 DEMCO members when the storms passed northwest of Baton Rouge.
An EF1 tornado that struck St. Francisville obliterated DEMCO’s infrastructure along a 20-mile swath. Hawes said. “It ravaged everything in its path as it passed through the town and gutted it,” she said.
More than 200 lineworkers and contractors, including mutual aid crews from Louisiana and Arkansas, worked through mounds of debris and challenging terrain to restore full power to members by April 15.
Thirty-three lineworkers with Arkansas Electric Cooperatives and Petit Jean Electric Cooperative in Clinton helped DEMCO, bringing additional off-road equipment with them. South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association in Houma also dispatched mutual assistance lineworkers.
To the east of DEMCO, Washington-St. Tammany crews did a stellar job in swiftly restoring service in the aftermath of an EF2 tornado that blasted the Slidell area on April 10 with 120-mph winds. The tornado, the width of three football fields, stayed on the ground for almost 10 miles, according to the National Weather Service.
About 15,000 Washington-St. Tammany members were without power at peak, but crews were able to restore power in less than 40 hours—a minor miracle in the view of Coylean Schloegel, manager of marketing and economic development at the Franklinton-based co-op.
The first priority was restoration of power at a hospital, and Washington-St. Tammany was able to backfeed the hospital to ensure service was uninterrupted.
“Our lineworkers and our contractors were incredible. After seeing the pictures of the damage that was out there, it’s amazing that people had lights so quickly. That speaks volumes about the co-op and these lineworkers. They’re definitely our heroes,” she said.
Steven Johnson is a contributing writer for NRECA.
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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