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Hurricane Laura made landfall at 1 am near Cameron, Louisiana, Thursday morning, August 27, 2020, about 35 miles east of the Texas border as a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds. The damage from Laura caused major destruction across JNEC’s service area, while leaving more than 21,000 members without power.

JNEC workers, along with 315 contractors and 19 sister cooperatives have worked diligently to restore power to our members. Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative has restored power to more than 17,000 meters, leaving approximately 4,200 meters without power. Crews are concentrated in the hardest hit areas, Deweyville, Newton, and Bon Wier. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this crisis.

We understand that no one wants a prolonged power outage, but that is not uncommon after a natural disaster. We hope to restore power to every member soon. However, we encourage everyone to be prepared to be without electricity for an extended period of time. Especially, those members in the hardest hit areas of Newton and Orange counties. We continue communicating with Entergy to determine when transmission service will be restored to our Deweyville substation. If  anyone in the home is dependent upon electricity for medical needs, it is advised that they seek an alternate location until power is restored. We will continue to update our members on the transmission service to Deweyville and restoration progress.

Downed Power Lines

Assume that any downed power line is “live.” If power lines are lying on the ground or dangling near the ground, do not touch the lines. Notify your utility company or local law enforcement authorities as soon as possible. Do not attempt to move or repair the power lines. If you can, stay nearby to warn others away from the downed line.

Phone Lines and Outage Reporting

With severe weather of this magnitude, phone lines can get very busy. Rest assured, Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative has crews prepared to restore co-op members’ electric service as quickly and safely as possible. Contact JNEC at 409-423-2241 or 1-800-231-9340.