Abstract: Hurricane Elsa packed a severe punch to LUCELEC and its operations in Saint Lucia when it made landfall on Friday, July 2, 2021. The storm brought powerful wind gusts of 79 mph and sustained winds of 46mph. In our first system update after the all clear was given, we stated that about 90 per cent of our customers had lost power at the height of the severe weather. 30 per cent lost power as a result of distribution system faults. The other 60 per cent lost power when the 66 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines tripped at various points during the storm and when two generators at our Cul De Sac Power Plant tripped due to sudden reductions in system load.

This would be one of 5 system updates that were part of our routine response to a natural disaster like a hurricane. And while these were distributed by various media – radio, television, online, and in interviews with the company – it was through social media that LUCELEC powered its storm response. In this case study, we will examine the ways the company used its social media platforms to inform and communicate with its customers in real-time and why this tool is one of the most powerful in the communicator’s toolkit.

Moderator: Jackie Marshall Clarke, Manager Communications & Government Relations, The Barbados Light & Power Company Ltd