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People hope yard signs will alert power crews to outages

2 years 7 months 5 days ago Monday, September 13 2021 Sep 13, 2021 September 13, 2021 6:52 PM September 13, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

PINE GROVE - Some people are so tired of being in the dark after Hurricane Ida, they've put up signs alerting linemen or power companies about their prolonged outages.

Lori Jones lives off of Highway 16 in Pine Grove. She says everyone around her got power back on Friday and she's the only one still in the dark.

"As always, I'm completely ignored because they don't see my house from Highway 16," Jones said. "They never forget to send the bill, though."

She strung a sheet in front of her property with blue spray paint. The message is for DEMCO.

"Sixteen years of just constantly having to let them know that when other people's power has been restored mine has not," Jones said.

She said she's had multiple conversations with DEMCO about the issue but there has yet to be a solution.

"The resolution I would like would be just some way to not be forgotten each time power is being restored," she said.

Another homeowner in Denham Springs says her neighborhood has also posted signs. Karla Davis lives in Oak Ridge and says all 40-plus homes in the neighborhood have been in the dark since Hurricane Ida.

"We've just been patiently waiting, but the patience has worn thin," Davis said.

She tells 2 On Your Side that trees remain down throughout the neighborhood and some are resting on power lines. Neighbors are doing all they can to alert linemen passing by, posting large painted signs at the front of the street that alert DEMCO of their outage. Davis hopes they help.

"Two weeks is a long time with no power," Davis said. "I've called DEMCO, I've called several times."

On Monday evening, DEMCO was reporting about 8,700 outages. The majority are in Livingston Parish and St. Helena. DEMCO says Denham Springs has an estimated restoration on or before Sept. 18.

Power crews are already in storm mode and looking ahead to the next storm, with the possibility of damage from Tropical Storm Nicholas. DEMCO says infrastructure for logistics is in place, and supply chains are providing for the outages cause by Hurricane Ida. "When a storm follows an incident like Hurricane Ida, we are first focused on the safety of the men we are hosting, then on the same process outlined in our emergency response plan to begin the assessment phase pushing into restoration."

David Freese with Entergy says it's also prepared for whatever comes to Louisiana.

"Our workforce is certainly used to working back to back storms," Freese said. "We're going to continue restoring power in southeast Louisiana that will not hinder our ability to support customers in other portions of the state."

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