Contributed by Wesley Harris (Lincoln Parish Journal)

Six local Claiborne Electric employees assisted the South Louisiana Electric Cooperative (SLECA) in Houma with restoration efforts after Hurricane Francine made landfall.

Foreman Rocky Lachney, Linemen Jeffrey Langford, Ryan Beach, Josh Dupree, and Andy Mills, and Right-of-Way Specialist Chris Snell responded to help restore electricity for SLECA members.

SLECA serves more than 16,000 meters, and nearly 100% of those customers were left without power following the landfall of Hurricane Francine.

This assistance with hurricane restoration is part of a statewide mutual aid program among electric cooperatives. Coordinators in the statewide organization work with operations managers at each electric cooperative within the state to manage available resources. When widespread outages occur, coordinators and managers work together to send staff and equipment to affected areas.

Claiborne Electric services over 17,000 customers in Lincoln, Bienville, Claiborne, Union, and Webster Parishes.

Louisianans can prepare for future storms and outages by having the following on hand:

• non-perishable food
• water
• flashlights
• batteries
• prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines
• a first aid kit
• matches
• battery-powered radio
• fully charged cellular devices with back-up external chargers

Those who use portable generators should follow these safety rules:

• Never operate a generator inside a home or other enclosed space, such as a garage.
• Make sure the generator is properly grounded and used with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI).
• Do not overload the generator.
• Use only extension cords that have a three-pronged plug and are rated for the intended load.
• Position the generator at least 20 feet from doors, windows, or vents to prevent carbon monoxide from entering the home.
• Never connect a generator directly to household wiring without first installing a transfer switch. This prevents backfeeding and protects line workers making repairs.