Severe weather swept through Louisiana early Monday morning, March 24, 2025, leaving thousands without power across multiple parishes. The storms brought high winds and rain, impacting various areas, as utility companies scrambled to restore service in the wake of the damage.
As of 6:45 a.m., reports indicated that Iberia Parish faced significant outages, with 2,728 homes and businesses affected, representing 7.56% of the total 36,092 customers tracked there. CLECO reported the bulk of the problems in this area, with 1,946 customers without power. Meanwhile, Entergy recorded the highest percentage of outages in Iberia Parish, affecting 12.74% of its customer base.
Jeff Davis Parish also saw troubles, with 1,345 customers in the dark, translating to 10.62% of its total 12,664 customers. Entergy was again the company reporting the most outages here, with all 1,345 outages attributed to its service.
In Evangeline Parish, about 1,217 outages were recorded as of early morning, affecting 6.69% of the 18,178 customers. As with the previous parishes, CLECO seemed to have the highest impact, with 7.47% of its customers facing outages.
However, it was Acadia Parish that reported the most staggering statistics; 7,994 customers, or approximately 27.44% of the local customer base, were left without power. CLECO's statistics were alarming, with 6,281 customers out, representing 88.37% of affected customers in the area.
Around 4,000 residents were left without power at the peak of the storm's impact in Southwest Louisiana. The ensuing damage included job destruction in various areas, leading to the widespread outages. In Calcasieu Parish, 577 customers were left powerless, while Cameron Parish bore witness to just 33 outages during this period.
Further affected areas included Beauregard with 95 outages and Allen with 626 customers experiencing disruptions. Initial severity of the storm caused significant turmoil, with additional reports of wind damage and fallen trees obstructing service restoration efforts.
Meanwhile, in East Baton Rouge Parish, approximately 4,000 Entergy customers and another 2,000 served by DEMCO were also without power following the storm's onslaught. Most outages occurred in areas near Sharp Lane and Oak Villa Boulevard, which saw significant disruptions. Reports indicated these outages were part of a larger wave of problems across multiple parishes.
As of mid-morning, the National Weather Service had issued several important watches and warnings to the Baton Rouge area. A severe thunderstorm watch remained in effect until 11 a.m., alongside a flash flood warning expected to last until 10 a.m. A wind advisory was also in place, cautioning residents until 4 p.m. that day due to potential dangers from high winds.
Further, Entergy was tracking additional outages throughout surrounding parishes, including Ascension, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. In fact, Entergy's outage data indicated nearly 3,500 customers alone in East Baton Rouge Parish lost power as of 8 a.m.
According to Entergy, outages in various parishes were as follows as the day continued: Ascension reported 205 outages, East Feliciana had 303, Iberville 185, Livingston 399, Pointe Coupee faced 1,171 outages, West Baton Rouge 281, and West Feliciana had 4. Overall, the data showed a concerning rise of more than 8,500 DEMCO customers without power due to the ongoing storms.
In the North Iberville school district, due to power outages, North Iberville Elementary and North Iberville High School were canceled for the day. The dramatic impact of the storms is a stark reminder of the challenges facing utility companies during severe weather, as they work tirelessly to restore power during extreme conditions.
This information reflects the current status of weather-related outages as of March 24, 2025. Residents are advised to stay tuned for further developments as crews continue to assess damages, restore power, and ensure safety in the affected areas.
In the meantime, residents are encouraged to report any issues, seek safe shelter, and avoid driving unless necessary, as more storms are expected throughout the day's timeline.
As crews respond and recover from the storm's aftermath, the community resilience among the people of Southwest Louisiana will play a vital role in overcoming the challenges presented by these turbulent weather conditions.
