DALLAS, September 22, 2020 – Approximately 150 Oncor personnel and contractors have been deployed to South Louisiana as part of a mutual assistance effort to support the restoration of Entergy transmission infrastructure following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Laura. Oncor will be leading the restoration of a nearly 18-mile long transmission loop in Lake Charles, including the total replacement of more than 200 structures and extensive debris removal. Oncor has also deployed 150 personnel and contractors to the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast to support Hurricane Sally restoration.

“While we’re incredibly grateful that Hurricane Laura impacts were minimal in our service territory, this historic storm caused unbelievable damage to the transmission system of our neighbors in Louisiana. Hurricane Sally also brought widespread destruction to our partners in the Gulf Coast, and we’re honored to do our part in supporting both of these ongoing recovery efforts,” said Wes Speed, Vice President of Transmission Operations at Oncor. “Outage events like these hurricanes are why we have worked so hard to maintain mutual assistance partnerships across the country. Responding to other utilities in need is the right thing to do. These are same folks who come to our aid when we have ice storms, tornadoes or other weather related events.”

Oncor has been coordinating with Entergy and other energy partners since before Hurricane Laura made landfall, and has been supporting local damage assessment and restoration design efforts since the beginning of September. Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph on the coast of Louisiana, near the city of Cameron and approximately 25 miles south of where Oncor crews are supporting restoration efforts. The storm is tied for the strongest landfalling hurricane in the history of the state, and brought with it nearly 10-foot storm surge, heavy flooding and widespread damage to homes, businesses and energy infrastructure.

Oncor has also been in close contact with Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast energy partners and is supporting damage assessment and restoration efforts. Hurricane Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores, Alabama as a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of up to 105 mph. The slow-moving storm also brought catastrophic flooding with 30 inches of rain and six feet of storm surge to the Pensacola area.

Oncor has long-maintained mutual assistance partnerships with utilities throughout Texas and across the country to support preparation and recovery efforts for severe weather and major outage events. Mutual assistance partners have also been working together to develop various health and safety policies to support any necessary recovery efforts throughout the ongoing pandemic. Oncor is still able to maintain full operational and support capabilities with these health and safety policies in place. Customers who see Oncor or other restoration personnel in their area are encouraged to follow social distancing guidelines and stay at least six feet away from workers for the safety of themselves and crew members.

Over the past few years, Oncor has also deployed Company equipment and personnel to support restoration efforts after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Hurricane Michael in Florida, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and wildfires in California.