KEY TAKEAWAYS: More than 44,000 utility customers still without electricity Thursday Ouachita Parish accounts for over 30,000 outages Entergy reports extensive damage to poles, lines and transformers Freezing temperatures and warming center needs persist statewide   More than 44,000 uti lity customers in North Louisiana remained without electricity Thursday evening with temperatures forecast to fall well below freezing again this weekend after a winter storm paralyzed the region earlier this week. Nearly all the outages involve Entergy Louisiana customers, and most are concentrated in Ouachita Parish where more than 30,000 were powerless heading into Friday. Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, D-Bossier City, represents the section of the state that saw the worst effects from the snow, sleet and five straight days of frigid conditions. Reached by phone Thursday, Campbell said it’s the worst winter storm he has ever seen in the area. “We’re just in a hell of a mess up here in North Louisiana,” Campbell said. Statewide outage data from FindEnergy.com reported over 111,000 outages Sunday afternoon as strong winds and tree limbs weighted with ice took their toll. Transformers blew, power lines snapped and utility poles fell. Impassable roads have hindered efforts to restore electricity. Parts of Ouachita Parish might be without power until Saturday, according to the latest restoration estimates from Entergy Louisiana. The company reported Thursday it had completed a damage assessment and identified approximately 800 poles, 2,600 spans of wire between poles and 190 transformers in need of repair or replacement. Utility companies have deployed about 4,000 workers to North Louisiana to turn the power back on, but they’re also having to address emergencies in other states, Campbell said. “Roads are getting better in the Shreveport-Bossier area, but it’s still very dangerous,” the commissioner said. “We’re trying to get people from everywhere we can. The problem is Arkansas is in trouble too.” The Louisiana Department of Health has reported nine storm-related deaths statewide, including at least three people who perished from hypothermia. Extended power outages have increased the risk of people going without heat in their homes. The state is operating 44 warming centers across the state to help people find relief from the cold. More are expected to open when the intense cold returns this weekend. Temperatures in Louisiana are expected to fall again this weekend with lows in the low- to mid-20s statewide starting overnight Saturday through Monday morning. “We’re doing everything we can to get people’s power back on as fast as possible,” Campbell said. “We’re working night and day.” ...read more read less