By Aaron Schaubhut Podcast Editor
Hurricane Ida is already considered one of the most damaging storms of all time, destroying structures and leaving millions without power. While residents looked to pick up the pieces, linemen came from all over the country to help restore the power needed to rebuild.
And while many came from far away, some, like Drake Badeaux, Entergy worker and Des Allemands native, went to work even while his community was severely damaged.
“My house lost its roof just like everyone else in the neighborhood,” Badeaux says. “It was weird to work so hard to help other people then to come home and have to work on my own house.”
Des Allemands was one of the last towns to expect power after the storm, according to Entergy. Some neighborhoods were not expected to have power back until late September, almost a month after the storm’s Aug. 29 landfall. And while many desperately need power, Badeaux says returning electricity after a storm could be a dangerous process.
“There’s so much damage to certain areas after a storm that it’s dangerous to just go in and start fixing things,” he says. “A lot of debris and a lot of trees. It was difficult to get into areas we needed to get to because of all the damage. Proper safety precautions needed to be in place.”
Despite being a native to one of the hardest-hit towns in Louisiana, Badeaux was not sent to work anywhere in Des Allemands. The damages he discusses mostly come from Lafourche Parish; another area devastated by the storm. Badeaux expresses his overall concern for friends and family during recovery.
“I tried my best to keep my parents updated on electricity, but there was very little I could do to help them at the time.”
Badeaux’s stepfather and senior Entergy lineman, Timothy Dufrene expresses similar testimony after the storm takes the entire home he has lived in for decades.
Dufrene is no stranger to the catastrophic aftermath of a hurricane. In 2006, he assisted in returning power to the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina.
“I’ve been seeing the damage storms can do for years and it still feels unreal. I lost my entire home in one night.”
The two explain that the efforts to return power to Southern Louisiana may have gotten off to a rough start. However, cleaning efforts have helped. Badeaux explains that restoring power to neighborhoods in need began running more smoothly once things were cleared.
“A lot of the poles were destroyed and needed to be replaced. Just like everything else after the storm, there was a lot of damage,” he says.
Badeaux urges the people of Louisiana to remain patient and optimistic about the future. He explains that although there was a lot of damage done to the area, “Things are getting better and will continue to get better.”
Entergy’s last outage map update shows that most outages are repaired. Linemen continue to work in St. James, Lafourche, and St. Charles parishes to restore power everywhere. Bayou Gauche Camps in St. Charles parish are the last areas estimated to regain power on Dec. 31.
– Timothy Dufrene, Senior Entergy Lineman
The two explain that the efforts to return power to Southern Louisiana may have gotten off to a rough start. However, cleaning efforts have helped. Badeaux explains that restoring power to neighborhoods in need began running more smoothly once things were cleared.
“A lot of the poles were destroyed and needed to be replaced. Just like everything else after the storm, there was a lot of damage,” he says.
Badeaux urges the people of Louisiana to remain patient and optimistic about the future. He explains that although there was a lot of damage done to the area, “Things are getting better and will continue to get better.”
Entergy’s last outage map update shows that most outages are repaired. Linemen continue to work in St. James, Lafourche, and St. Charles parishes to restore power everywhere. Bayou Gauche Camps in St. Charles parish are the last areas estimated to regain power on Dec. 31.
