SWEPCO prepares for Isaac

Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) is preparing for electric power restoration efforts this week in anticipation of tropical storm Isaac making landfall in or near south Louisiana.    

Hotels are being booked for additional line crew personnel, logistics such as fleet vehicle fuel stops and feeding arrangements are being made, and construction contractors and tree trimming crews are being held for emergency use in SWEPCO's Louisiana service area. SWEPCO has requested about 350 additional resources (linemen) and 100 tree trimming crew personnel for restoration work from AEP operating companies in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Virginia, as well as outside contractors. 

"SWEPCO and AEP emergency restoration planners are preparing for Isaac's impact, both internally and in coordination with other utilities, to gather resources and prepare for the restoration of potential electrical system damage," said Venita McCellon-Allen, SWEPCO president and chief operating officer in Shreveport. "Staging areas, with food, water, housing, materials and supplies are being prepared.

"Driving rain and high winds for several hours prevent our utility linemen from working safely on power lines while the storm is in progress. We ask for our customers' patience until wind speeds subside below 40 miles per hour for our employees to work as quickly and safely as possible," McCellon-Allen said.

SWEPCO customers may go to the company's website at www.swepco.com or its facebook page for outage preparation and safety tips.

SWEPCO, a unit of American Electric Power, delivers electricity to 520,000 customers in east and north Texas and western Arkansas, with more than 225,000 of those customers in Louisiana.