Cleco urges customers to make hurricane preparations

Sunday was the start of National Hurricane Preparedness Week, and Cleco is encouraging customers to use this time to prepare for the Atlantic hurricane season which officially begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
This initiative, led by the National Weather Service, is a nationwide effort to build a weather-ready nation before there is a storm. Each day during Hurricane Preparedness Week, the National Weather Service focuses on a different hurricane-related topic to help individuals and communities prepare. See topics at https://www.weather.gov/wrn/hurricane-preparedness.
“Hurricane season is right around the corner, and researchers are predicting another above-average Atlantic hurricane season,” said James Lass, director of distribution operations and emergency management. “While this is an early projection and subject to change, it’s always better to be prepared.”
In their first forecast for the season, researchers at Colorado State University have forecast 17 named storms and expect eight to become hurricanes and four to become major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). According to CSU, an average season is one with 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
“Last year’s hurricanes, including the pandemic, taught us to expect the unexpected, so now is a good time to review your plan or develop a plan if you don’t already have one, replenish supplies in your emergency storm kit and review your insurance policies,” said Lass. “We know from experience that hurricanes can be deadly and cause significant damage, including extended power outages.”
In 2020, Cleco Power’s service area was hit by three hurricanes, Laura, Delta and Zeta, in just two months.
Below are steps customers can take to prepare for the 2021 hurricane season:
Prepare a storm kit – gather supplies you might need during a power outage, including flashlights, batteries, canned food, manual can opener, bottled water, medication and a first aid kit.
—Develop a plan in case your area is evacuated.
—Test your generator to make sure it’s working.
—Have a battery-powered radio to receive updates broadcast by the media.
—Review your insurance policies.
Take pictures or video of the inside and outside areas of your home or business for potential insurance needs.
—Plan ahead for medical or special needs.
More storm preparedness tips can be found online at www.cleco.com and by following Cleco on Facebook at @ClecoPower.
Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC is a regional energy holding company that conducts its business operations through its subsidiaries, Cleco Power LLC and Cleco Cajun LLC.
Cleco Power is a regulated electric public utility company that owns 10 generating units with a rated capacity of 3,360 megawatts and serves approximately 290,000 customers in Louisiana through its retail business and supplies wholesale power in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Cleco Cajun is an unregulated utility company that owns 14 generating units with a rated capacity of 3,379 megawatts and wholesale contracts serving nine Louisiana cooperatives, three wholesale municipal customers and one electric utility. For more information about Cleco, visit us at www.cleco.