PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La. — Entergy reports it is making progress in restoring electricity to customers in the wake of last week’s Hurricane Zeta.
According to the utility, the company has returned power to more than 416,000 customers.
That’s nearly 90% of those affected by the strong Category 2 storm.
In some of the hardest-hit areas like, the east bank of Plaquemines Parish, power will be slower to return.
It could be another week before Harold Gourgues, 70, gets his power back.
Entergy crews are now working close to his property in Braithwaite where high winds snapped poles and brought down miles of powerlines.
“They are right up the street, putting poles up which is very good to see,” Gourgues said. “We didn’t see any movement down here until then.”
The Gourgues family has not lived full time in Braithwaite since 2013, when Hurricane Isaac pushed 11 feet of water across their property.
With Zeta, they got wind, but very little storm surge.
“We’re starting to get used to it,” Jarrod Gourgues said. “Seems like there’s a mess to be picked up every year. We’ve got a couple days of work, but nothing like we had for Isaac. We’re happy about that.”
Folks in Braithwaite know it will be a while before power is restored.
Harold Gourgues said if the Coronavirus didn’t teach people patience, the aftermath of yet another major storm hitting their area certainly has.
“They’re going to get to us,” Gourgues said. “I guess you have to give up something to live in what I call paradise. This is the next best thing to heaven, this place. I love this place.”
In Braithwaite, many of the service lines that bring power to directly to people’s homes were also damaged by Zeta.
They will have to be repaired by Entergy before those homes can receive electricity.
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