Hurricane Ida Power Restoration

Location: Numerous communities throughout Louisiana

Areas of Expertise: Storm Response, Line Clearance

Within hours of Hurricane Ida making landfall in Louisiana, members of Hooper’s Storm Response team packed up 78 trucks and were on the road ready to lend a helping hand. Eighty-six Hooper employees from Colorado, Florida, and the Midwest joined restoration crews from 38 other states and Canada who traveled to southern Louisiana to rebuild the damaged power grid.

More than 30,500 utility poles, 36,000 spans of distribution wire, 225 substations, and nearly 6,000 transformers were compromised by the storm. Entergy, the main electric utility in the region, initially estimated some residents would be without power for at least a month after assessing the damage.

Once in Louisiana, crews worked 16-hour days and faced challenging conditions – fallen trees, downed power lines, standing water, hot and humid temperatures, mud, and mosquitos. Given the extreme and often unfamiliar conditions, crews reviewed a long list of safety protocols each morning and were reminded to be watchful of displaced wildlife, including alligators and venomous snakes.

Repairs began with major lines to the substations, then to the lines and equipment that provided electricity to neighborhoods, businesses, and homes. Hooper crews helped restore power to residents in some of the hardest hit areas and worked in the following communities: Galliano, Mathews, Raceland, Bogalusa, Kentwood, Independence, Loranger, Amite City, and Tickfaw. Many residents were without power for more than two weeks.

Our crews spent over 20 days helping the residents of Louisiana. We are extremely proud of our Storm Response team for their exceptional hard work, dedication, and kindness to help those in need following Hurricane Ida.