DES MOINES, Iowa – (August 31, 2021) – MidAmerican Energy is sending 120 employee and contract crew members and equipment to southern Louisiana to help restore electric service, as Hurricane Ida knocked out power to more than 1 million customers there.

 

MidAmerican's response team includes linemen, support staff, and additional contractor line and vegetation management crew members. The storm response team members all volunteered for the assignment.

 

At the request of Entergy Louisiana, crews are scheduled to report to a staging location in the Baton Rouge area late this week to receive their restoration assignments. It’s not yet clear how long crews will be there.

 

"Our crews are up to this immense challenge of helping restore customers in Louisiana who've been devastated by Hurricane Ida," John Guy, MidAmerican vice president of electric delivery, said. "It was just over a year ago when the derecho impacted us so heavily and MidAmerican needed crews from elsewhere. We were thankful for all the help we could get and truly appreciate how important it is to respond when requested. I know our crews will do their level best in very difficult conditions to help turn peoples’ lights back on safely."

 

Ida was one of the most powerful hurricanes to make landfall in U.S. history. According to Entergy, which provides electric service to southern Louisiana, the storm caused "catastrophic transmission damage." The utility reports it may take weeks to restore customers in the hardest-hit areas.

 

About MidAmerican Energy
MidAmerican Energy, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, serves 795,000 electric customers in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota, and 774,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. Information about MidAmerican Energy is available at midamericanenergy.com and company social media channels.