Power restored in Minden after citywide outage

MINDEN, La. (KSLA) - According to the City of Minden, power is back on after a fire at an Entergy substation caused a city-wide outage.

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City electricity customers should know more Tuesday (Aug. 1) as to when and for how long the outage will be, city officials said Monday evening.

“At approximately 6 p.m. this evening, we received communication from our AEP representative, Dale Colvin, who informed us that he has been in contact with Entergy. According to Mr. Colvin, Entergy is actively working on finding a solution to significantly reduce the duration of the power outage for the City of Minden,” says a statement posted about 7 p.m. Monday (July 31) on the city’s Facebook page.

“Midmorning tomorrow, a conference call will take place involving AEP, Entergy and representatives from the City of Minden. This call will provide City leadership with a detailed plan on how we can minimize the impact of the power outage. It is important to note that at this time, no outage has been scheduled,” the post continues.

“We understand the importance of timely updates, and we assure you that we will release further information following tomorrow’s conference call. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work toward resolving this situation and minimizing any inconvenience to the residents and businesses of Minden.”

Officials said the fire broke out at 6:13 a.m. Sunday (July 30) at Entergy’s Gilark substation and caused a brief power outage. “The truthful answer is things just happen and we don’t know why they happen, whey they decide to happen when it’s 100º outside because that’s a big part of the issue that we’re facing,” Mayor Nick Cox told KSLA News 12 on Monday.

Now due to significant damage to a transformer, buss and lightning arresters, a citywide outage is imminent. This substation provides the only connection to the power grid and the city is working with Entergy and AEP to address the situation.

“In the meantime, we understand the inconvenience and potential challenges this power outage may pose for our community,” Cox said earlier Monday. “We strongly advise all residents to remain calm and prepared during this time. Please look to our official communication channel, including social media, press releases, local radio and TV, for the latest updates and safety instruction.”

Officials said they are working with the Webster Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness to establish cooling centers as a relief from the heat. They also are working with the American Red Cross to get support for the elderly, children and those with medical conditions.

“In the meantime,” the mayor said, “we would encourage each individual, each family, each household, each business to assess their needs and what they will be and to prepare.”

Danny Black, manager of a Minden business, said he’s “trying to figure out and plan what to do in case it happens. What can I potentially save? I’ve been trying to find opportunities and situations where if that happens, I can be as ready as I can. But, again, if we’re talking power outages for a long time, for days then I don’t know long my potential contingency plan will last.”

Resident Timmy Harris said news of the planned outage “surprises me because I don’t know what I’m going to do. We don’t have no backup generator. I just know we gone burn up!”

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