JACKSON, Miss. – Entergy Nuclear, along with Entergy’s operating companies in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, is closely monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Francine in the Gulf of Mexico. As of Monday morning, Sept. 9, the forecast from the National Hurricane Center calls for a Category 1 hurricane landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday evening.

Although the storm is not anticipated to impact our nuclear stations, we’ve entered severe weather procedures that ensure our readiness at Waterford 3 and River Bend Stations in Louisiana and Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Mississippi. Those procedures include walk-downs, securing of equipment and contingency staffing plans.

Nuclear power plants maintain the highest standard for operational safety, security, cybersecurity and emergency preparedness. The industry’s comprehensive safety procedures and stringent federal regulations keep our plants and neighboring communities safe. In addition, nuclear plants are designed to exceed requirements to withstand any historical natural disaster in their region, and Entergy’s plants have a long history of safety and security during challenging times.

Stay informed

With just a few days remaining before the system is expected to impact the coast, Entergy urges our communities and employees to remain weather aware. For up-to-date information, visit the  and follow Entergy Nuclear on .

About Entergy

Entergy is a Fortune 500 company that powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at¬†entergy.com¬†and connect with¬†@Entergy¬†on social media. #WePowerLife

JACKSON, Miss. – Entergy Mississippi crews are making progress restoring power to more than 138,000 customers who were left without after multiple major storms continue to move through the state. Storms have struck our service area nearly every day since Saturday, June 10 and more are forecast this week. Restoration efforts have been ongoing and our crews continue to restore power as it is safe to do so, even as a weather system is moving through our service area today.

The outages are a result of a wave of consecutive strong and fast-moving storms that have pelted Entergy Mississippi’s power grid for more than a week. These storms have caused outages for customers in the western half of the state from the Tennessee to Louisiana lines. More than 2,000 workers are involved in the restoration efforts. As power is restored in one area, crews will be redirected to areas still without power.

“These thunderstorms are relentless, however our storm teams and those here to assist with our restoration are also relentless,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO, Entergy Mississippi. “We are now systematically and safely stepping through our switching, vegetation clearing and construction efforts to restore power to all our customers.” ¬†

About 36,000 outages remain and additional outages could occur as more weather systems move through the area.

“I want to thank our customers for their patience,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “It’s frustrating to be without power for this long, especially in Mississippi’s hot summer. These storms inflicted extensive damage on our systems. We know you want to get your power restored and we have an army of workers focused on making repairs so your lives can get back to normal.”

“As weather continues to move through our area, we are aware of customers that have now been impacted two or three times due to different causes. We are continuing to receive storm assessments from our scouting teams and prioritizing the restoration efforts.” ¬†

Additionally, we have committed $20,000 to the American Red Cross to support cooling centers in our service area.

Entergy Mississippi reminds customers that if they live in a neighborhood that has had power restored but don’t have power at their home, they likely have electrical damage.¬†If a customer is without power, they should check for damage to the electrical equipment attached to their home or business and contact an electrician to make repairs. For information about a home’s electrical equipment, visit¬†.

If electric equipment appears undamaged, text OUT to 36778 or call 1-800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243). If damage has been repaired by a qualified electrician, call 1-800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749) to generate a service reconnection work order.

Entergy Mississippi began restoring power to customers as safely and quickly as possible after the storms passed. Our crews, along with mutual assistance contractors, will continue working around the clock until all power is restored.

Here’s how you can stay up to date on our restoration efforts:

• Download the Entergy app. Customers can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at their home or business.
• Check Entergy’s¬†View Outages¬†map. Maps show where outages are located and give information about restoration progress.
• Follow Entergy on and . Social media¬†also plays an important role in keeping you informed, and we place a high priority on updating our social media channels throughout an event.
• Text us: If you are signed up to receive our notifications, you can text OUT to 36778 to report an outage or STAT for the status of your power outage. To sign up for text messaging, go to or by texting REG to 36778. Have your account number and ZIP code handy. The registration pattern is as follows including spaces: REG (account number) (ZIP code).
• Visit the¬†¬†website. The site has storm safety, preparation and restoration information that is updated throughout the day.

About Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 461,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than , Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the .

On a parallel track, low-income and charitable giving efforts kicked into high gear. In April, Entergy Mississippi donated more than $385,000 to create the , launching an unprecedented response effort augmented by Entergy’s workforce across Mississippi.��

“It became evident that we needed to do more for customers and communities that were facing new hardships,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “The pandemic really took a toll on low-income households that were already struggling to make ends meet. We had to act fast to help working families with basic needs until their financial situations became more stable.”��

By leveraging its network of community partners, Entergy Mississippi directed relief funds to 15 organizations that were well-positioned to provide a variety of services. Recipients included Salvation Army agencies, United Way agencies, Mississippi Food Network, Refill Café and Extra Table.��

The company also formed new partnerships to address pandemic challenges.��

When a national shortage of hand sanitizer threatened workforce safety, Entergy worked with Cathead Distillery in Jackson to produce enough to supply its facilities in four states and offer free bottle fill-ups to communities.��

By mid-2020, Entergy had dedicated almost $3 million to in its four-state service area and The Power to Care, which helps low-income customers pay utility bills.��

Pandemic increases customer assistance efforts����

Entergy Mississippi also stepped up bill-payment relief efforts with an Enhanced Customer Assistance Plan, which expanded payment extension options, waived late fees, and reimbursed credit and debit card convenience fees. In addition, the company suspended service disconnects for non-payment and worked directly with customers on bill-payment arrangements that fit their specific needs.����

Entergy earned national recognition for its efforts to communicate with customers about bill-payment assistance. Many low-income customers were already familiar with the Low Income Home ���ϳԹ��� Assistance Program, but economic pressures caused by the pandemic expanded the pool of eligible recipients. Raising awareness among customers was key in helping them receive federal relief.��

On top of dealing with a pandemic, many Entergy customers were impacted by a devastating storm season in 2020 that included Hurricane Laura, the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than 160 years. Mississippi employees were part of a massive restoration team that worked around the clock to restore service safely, rebuild infrastructure, and help communities recover, all while following virus-prevention protocols.��

Through individual acts of generosity, employees throughout Mississippi did their part to support a variety of needs. They donated surgical masks to hospitals and first responders, delivered nonperishable food supplies to relief agencies, organized charitable fundraisers and volunteered in their communities.��

“With customers facing so many challenges during the pandemic, our employees were prepared to be part of the solution,” Fisackerly said. “They applied their training in safety, customer service and storm response to respond effectively to the crisis and keep the power flowing. Their performance helped reinforce the fact that when our customers and communities need us, we’ll always be there for them.”����

Entergy crew members are��ready to respond as soon as it is safe to do so. We cannot operate bucket trucks with winds at 30mph or greater.�� Those wind speeds are expected along and south of the I-20 corridor.��

��

We are working to ensure we have the people and resources to respond to outages safely. We have requested an additional 500 Linemen, 250 Vegetation workers, as well as additional damage assessment and support for the workforce.�� We expect to start seeing power outages Sunday afternoon as the outer bands reach into southern Mississippi.�� We expect the storm to take 24 to 36 hours to clear our territory.��

��We urge customers to continue to monitor local weather and have an emergency response plan in place. For preparation tips and updates visit��.

Along with standard storm preparations, Entergy employees are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic by taking additional steps. These include traveling separately when possible, adjusting crew staging locations and increasing the use of drones. Due to the additional measures crews must take, restoration may take longer, especially where there are widespread outages. Additionally, crews will continue to practice social distancing and we ask that customers do the same. For their safety and yours, please stay away from work zones. If you need to report a problem with your service or get bill payment help, we’re just a phone call away: 1-800-ENTERGY.��

Customer Safety

As with any weather event, please be mindful of the following safety tips:

• Live wires can be deadly. Stay away from downed power lines. Call 1-800-9OUTAGE or 1-800-968-8243 to report downed or dangling power lines, poles or other damaged equipment.
• Do not trim trees or remove debris on or near downed power lines. Only power company crews or their contractors should remove trees or limbs touching power lines.
• Keep away from the immediate areas where crews are working. There is always the danger of moving equipment and the possibility of construction materials or limbs or overhead wires falling to the ground.
• If you plan on using a generator for temporary power, get a licensed electrician and disconnect from the utility electric system before hooking up to your home main electric panel.��
• Do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation.
• Avoid using candles or other flammable devices to warm your home.��
• Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.��
• Try to stay off the roads in affected areas. More traffic in bad weather leads to more accidents, including more injuries and fatalities as well as accidents that can damage electrical poles and other equipment, creating outages and impeding the ability of crews to access and repair damage and slowing restoration.

Stay Informed
We want to keep you informed and in control so here is the best way to get information about outages in addition to the View Outage application:

• Download our app for your smartphone at����or visit����to stay informed on our restoration progress. Android users who have difficulty accessing the app on their smartphones can get information from the mobile version of our site at��.
• Sign up for outage text alerts. From your cell phone, text R E G to 36778, or visit��.
• Follow us on����and��.

Follow updates in your local news media, like radio, television and newspapers.

The recently honored Entergy with a Lantern Award for its strategic crisis communications work. ��During the organization’s annual conference, held in New Orleans in September, the company was recognized for its social media efforts during Hurricane Harvey.

The hurricane flooded the company’s Texas service area in the summer of 2017, causing widespread outages and triggering a sustained restoration effort.

“Hurricane Harvey had its own unique challenges, but everyone on the team worked thousands of hours to ensure our customers were informed and up-to-date. This award is a wonderful recognition of everyone’s effort,” said Joey Lee, manager of communications for Entergy Mississippi. “Having our work selected by judges who are some of the top communications professionals in the field is quite an honor.”

Lantern Award entries are judged on their individual merit by nationwide public relations practitioners. The awards program offers three levels of recognition, including Certificates of Merit, Awards of Excellence and Lantern Awards.

Entergy was chosen from a wide pool of submissions. As a Lantern Award winner, the company joins an elite group of honorees working in the southern region, including NASA, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation, Ochsner Health System, Sanderson Farms, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Auburn University. ()

“Hurricane Harvey was a game-changing event for the social media function at Entergy,” said Nicole Bradshaw, Entergy’s manager of digital and social media. “Our staff worked very long hours, very closely together, to help tell our story and take care of our customers and communities during the restoration. It was a huge team effort, spanning multiple departments and functions, and I’m pleased to see our employees being recognized for all of their hard work.”

To learn more about Entergy’s social media presence, view a listing of the company’s official social media feeds.

The Southern Public Relations Federation is a network of public relations professionals from Alabama, north Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Led by a volunteer board, the organization has more than 1,400 members and exists to further the professional and networking interests of public relations and communication professionals. Begun in 1972, the organization also advocates on behalf of and assists its members through ongoing professional development and defining ethical behavior.

Ragan and PR Daily run a series of awards programs each year. Judged by globally regarded experts and featuring multiple categories, these programs honor the top work in communications, PR, marketing and media.

The Digital PR & Social Media Awards celebrates teams, organizations and consultants who have redefined the field with their groundbreaking work. As an honorable mention recipient, Entergy joins an elite group of past recipients, including Hulu, the National Kidney Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, Aflac and Discovery Education.

Entergy was chosen from a wide pool of submissions to receive recognition in crisis communications and reputation management for the impact of its social media response efforts during Hurricane Harvey. The hurricane flooded the company’s Texas service area in the summer of 2017, causing widespread outages and triggering a sustained restoration effort.

“Out of many outstanding submissions, we found Entergy’s work to truly set a new standard of excellence for all practitioners. We congratulate them and look forward to seeing their future successes in this field,” said Justine Figueroa, senior marketing coordinator for award programs at Ragan Communications.

“This award is a testament to the teamwork of so many of our staff,” said Nicole Bradshaw, Entergy’s manager of digital and social media. “A cross-functional group of my fellow Entergy employees put in long hours to help tell our story and take care of our customers and communities during Hurricane Harvey. I’m proud, but not surprised, for their work to be honored as some of the best of the best.”

To learn more about Entergy’s social media presence, view a listing of the company’s official social media feeds: entergynewsroom.com/social.

operates two of the top news and information sites for the PR and corporate communications industry: Ragan.com and PRDaily.com. The Chicago-based company is also the leading provider of conferences and online training for PR, media relations, and corporate communications professionals.