BEAUMONT, Texas — Thousands of residents and businesses in Southeast Texas were left in the dark Friday night after Hurricane Delta and its winds whipped through the region.
Southeast Texas saw higher winds Friday than when Hurricane Laura came through.
12News began receiving reports of power outages in Southeast Texas after 4:30 p.m. Friday as Delta began coming ashore.
More than 13,000 Entergy customers were without power before 5 p.m. according to Entergy's outage website.
By 9:30 p.m. more than 106,000 Entergy customers in Southeast Texas were sitting in the dark according to the company.
Once Entergy crews were safely able to get out in the field they began to asses damage and restore power according to Entergy spokesperson Allie Payne.
"While we have been able to get the lights back on for some customers, the high winds and severe weather has limited our ability to fully assess our equipment and troubleshoot outages. After assessing damage to our system, we will provide an estimated restoration," the Payne told 12News via email.
By 10 p.m. Hurricane Delta was barely a category one hurricane with winds at 75 mph as it moved north-northeast over Louisiana about 70 miles northeast of Cameron.
At 11 p.m. more than 104,000 Entergy customers were without power. This is more than were left powerless after Hurricane Laura struck.
The hardest hit counties in Entergy's service area were Jefferson and Orange County followed by Hardin and Chambers County
Here’s a tally of Entergy customers without power as of 11 p.m. according to he Entergy outage site...
- Jefferson County 73,900
- Orange County 26,838
- Hardin County 2,645
- Chambers County 584
- Liberty County 53
- Tyler County 4
- Newton County 3
Payne warned that the most dangerous time of a storm can be afterwards when power lines are down. Be sure to stay clear of all downed lines and equipment. There is no way to know if a line is energized or not, so if you see one, keep your distance and call 1-800-9OUTAGE," she said in the email.
Restoration times that may be listed on the Entergy outage site are estimates only according to the Entergy website.
"Indication that power is restored to your area does not guarantee your house/business has power. We cannot restore power to structures with damaged electrical equipment," according to Entergy.
Entergy has an online outage map where you can view outages in their service area.
MORE | Entergy Outage Map
Here’s where to report power outages in Southeast Texas.
Entergy – (800) 968-8243
Jasper Newton Electric Cooperative – 800-231-9340
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative – 800-444-1207
Here’s some tips from Entergy.com on being safe after a storm.
After a storm has passed, naturally thoughts center on getting back in, fixing the damage and getting back to normal as quickly as possible. But beware: the time after the storm can be more dangerous than the storm itself. Your safety and the safety of our employees and contractors is a core value.
Entergy employees will work only when and where conditions are safe and secure to do so. Likewise, you should consider returning home only when you know it is safe.
Don't become careless after a storm and let your “safety guard” down. Just because you can’t see any apparent danger doesn’t mean there isn’t any. For example, downed power lines may still be energized. Treat them with respect to avoid being electrocuted.
