Last night’s power outage was a difficult experience for many of our residents, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience it caused to you and your families.
Based on our assessment, we believe that severe weather conditions, specifically lightning around 2:00 PM, struck the City’s electrical substation and damaged six insulators. This substation is critical, as it distributes power throughout St. Martinville. Our crews immediately responded and, with the assistance of LUS Energy from Lafayette, were able to complete all necessary repairs on the City’s equipment by approximately 6:00 PM.
However, power could not be fully restored at that time because the transmission line that feeds our substation—owned and operated by Entergy—was also impacted. We were informed that their line sustained damage, including burned jumpers, which required extensive repairs. Due to the location of the damage in a sugar cane field near Cemetery Highway, Entergy had to bring in specialized bucket trucks from Lake Charles to access and fix the issue.
Once Entergy completed their repairs, power was successfully restored across the City around 1:00 AM.
We understand the hardship of being without electricity for an extended period, and we want you to know that our team worked diligently and as quickly as possible to restore service. While the initial cause was an act of nature beyond our control, and the restoration timeline depended in part on external providers, we remained fully engaged every step of the way to advocate for and expedite the process for our residents.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support. Please know that the safety and well-being of our community will always remain our top priority.