Hurricane Katrina Restoration Timeline

August 29                     Hurricane Katrina makes landfall as a Category 4 hurricane devastating Coast Electric’s entire electric system.

August 30                     Damage assessment

August 31                     30,000 broken/damaged poles and 10,000 transformers. It will take 750 18-wheeler loads of poles to get the materials here. Almost half of Coast Electric’s 230 employees lost everything. Initial estimate for full power restoration to those that can receive power is 6-8 weeks. Biggest challenge is limited communication. Crews begin arriving tonight.

September 1                 Power restoration estimate is 6 weeks at minimum. Crews have arrived from North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

September 2                 Continue to estimate 6 weeks for full power restoration to those that can receive power.

September 3                 Energized five of our 31 substations to include Oneal Road, Gay Road, Lamey, Woolmarket and Lizana. Now that these substations are energized, 2,500 members have power. The D’Iberville and Orange Grove areas to include Sangani Boulevard, D’Iberville High School and Fire Department as well as Three Rivers Elementary and Orange Grove Fire Department can now utilize electric service. Public service facilities will continue to be a primary focus. Due to the extensive damage, we’ll be restoring service from east to west. Severe damage in the western territory is taking more time for crews to clear roads to access those areas. Transportation and communication are still two of the biggest challenges.

September 4                 Energized 14 of our 31 substations.  Now that these substations are energized, approximately 5,000 members have power.

September 5                 Energized 18 of our 31 substations. Approximately 14,000 members have power. Pioneer Electric donated truck loads of food, clothes and other supplies to displaced CEPA employees. Coast Electric estimates that about 10,000 members will not be able to receive electric service due to extensive damage to their homes.

September 6                 Energized 30 of our 31 substations. Eighty percent of CEPA’s system will be energized by the beginning of next week. The remaining 20 percent was the hardest hit and it may take twice as long to get the remaining 20 percent up as it took to get the initial 80 percent on.

September 7                 All substations are energized. All transmission lines have been restored. CEPA is now completing work on three-phase lines.

September 8                 Phone service restored to Bay St. Louis, Gulfport and Picayune offices for member inquiries but not for reporting outages.

September 9                 Approximately 21,000 of 60,000 members now have electric service.  More than 2,000 crew members and support staff from 14 states and 70 companies are working in CEPA’s three-county area.

September 10               Approximately 31,000 of 60,000 members now have electric service. More than 2,500 crew members and support staff from 14 states and 70 companies are working to assist with the restoration process.

September 11               Approximately 36,500 of 60,000 members now have electric service. 95% of members in Harrison County will have electric service by September 17.

September 12               Bay St. Louis, Gulfport and Picayune offices resumed regular business hours. Approximately 40,000 of 60,000 members now have electric service. More than 2,800 crew members and support staff from 16 states and 90 companies are assisting with the restoration process. Crews from the following states are assisting with restoration efforts: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

September 13               Approximately 46,000 of 60,000 members now have electric service. More than 2,900 crew members and support staff from 18 states and 120 companies are assisting.

September 14               Approximately 50,000 of 60,000 members now have electric service. More than 2,900 crew members from 19 states and 120 companies are here to help.

September 15               Approximately 55,000 of 60,000 members now have electric service. Harrison County has restored power to all of those that can receive it. Hancock County is expected to have all members connected that can receive power by the close of the business day. The goal is to have Pearl River County at 100 percent on September 19.

September 16               Approximately 56,500 of Coast Electric’s 60,000 members now have power. We are now working to build lines to areas with the most severe damage. Prior to Hurricane Katrina Coast Electric served approximately 70,000 members on 90 percent of the land mass in Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River counties. Due to the storm’s destruction, approximately 10,000 members can not receive power. More than 3,200 crew members and support staff from 19 states and 125 companies are here to assist with restoration efforts.

September 17               59,500 of 60,000 members have power.

September 18               59,650 of 60,000 members have power.

September 19               59,825 of 60,000 members have power.

September 20               All members in Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River Counties that can receive power now have electric service. Coast Electric will resume reading meters and mailing bills starting September 26.

September 21-             Continue the work of rebuilding lines to most heavily damaged
November 28              areas

***Power restored to all members that can receive electric service in 3 weeks!