PINEVILLE, La. – Sept. 25, 2024 – Cleco crews are traveling this afternoon to Pensacola, Florida in preparation for Hurricane Helene which is expected to be a major hurricane when it makes landfall tomorrow night.
Five Cleco line crews, which consist of approximately 40 line mechanics, will assist Florida Power & Light (FPL) with restoration efforts. The line crews are from across Cleco’s service territory including Pineville, Rosepine, New Iberia, Bunkie, Opelousas and Covington.
The line crews are joined by three project coordinators, distribution operations leadership, a safety professional and a fleet mechanic.
“It brings us great pride to be able to support Florida and the team at Florida Power & Light,” said Andre Guillory, chief customer officer for Cleco Power. “Cleco understands the challenges a hurricane can bring and we’re eager to assist a fellow power company.”
“When Louisiana experiences a hurricane, our neighboring states are always there to help us with restoration efforts,” said Clint Robichaux, director of distribution operations and reliability at Cleco Power. “We’ve assisted our fellow utilities in the past, like Georgia Power in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. And we’re grateful that we’re able to serve again, this time in Florida.”
Depending on Hurricane Helene’s impact, Cleco crews expect to be in Florida anywhere from a few days to a few weeks until restoration is complete.