storm center > entergy arkansas crews wrapping up emergency response from weekend's storms

entergy arkansas crews wrapping up emergency response from weekend's storms

01/14/2020

a line of severe thunderstorms with straight line winds has moved through entergy’s service area causing approximately 54,500 outages across the state. as of 12:00 p.m. outages have been reduced from the peak of more than 42,800 outages to 2,653 outages. 

entergy crews are restoring power as quickly and safely as possible.  all damage assessment is completed. we have identified at least 338 broken poles and 504 spans of downed wire remaining.

restoration times continue to be refined for all affected customers as crews make repairs. it is estimated that 99% percent of the affected customers will be restored by 10:00 p.m. tonight, with the hardest-hit areas extending into wednesday or later as described below.

we have approximately 1,300 restoration workers, scouts and vegetation personnel working to restore power. this includes an additional 250 linemen travelling to arkansas to assist with the restoration.

southeast arkansas

ashley county

hamburg, crossett, and fountain hill

as of 12:00 p.m. january 14, 2020, approximately 107 customers are without power in the ashley county service area. crews have identified and are working to repair 120 broken poles, 147 spans of downed wire, and 163 damaged equipment locations. we anticipate customers in the hamburg area with the heaviest damage should by restored no later than 10:00 p.m. tonight.

portland, montrose, parkdale, and wilmot

as of 12:00 p.m. january 14, 2020, approximately 526 customers are without power. areas along the highway 165 corridor from montrose to parkdale are estimated to be restored by 6:00 p.m. on friday, january 17, 2020, as a result of extensive damage to our transmission lines serving the area. efforts are underway to restore service as soon as possible.

chicot county

lake village area

as of 12:00 p.m. january 14, 2020, approximately 1,169 customers are without power in the lake village and north eudora service area. crews are working to repair 149 broken poles, 268 spans of downed wire, and 242 damaged equipment locations. we anticipate all customers who can safely receive power to have their service restored by 6:00 p.m. on wednesday, january 15, 2020. some later than expected restoration times may occur in areas with the heaviest damage.

desha county

arkansas city & rohwer area

as of 12:00 p.m. january 14, 2020, approximately 341 customers are without power in the rohwer service area. crews are working to repair 11 broken poles, 27 spans of downed wire, and 43 damaged equipment locations. we expect restoration for all customers to be no later than 6:00 p.m. friday, january 17, 2020, as a result of extensive damage to our transmission lines serving the area.

drew county

monticello

as of 12:00 p.m. january 14, 2020, approximately 219 customers are without power in the monticello service area. crews have identified and are working to repair 25 broken poles, 48 spans of downed wire, and 41 damaged equipment locations. most customers in these areas should have electric service restored tonight. customers in areas with the heaviest damage may have later than expected restoration times.

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 
  5. do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation.
  6. avoid using candles or other flammable devices to warm your home. 
  7. try to stay off the roads. 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.

we want to keep you informed and in control so here is the best way to get information about outages in addition to entergy’s view outage application on www.entergy.com:

  1. download our app for your smartphone at entergy.com slash app or visit entergystormcenter.com to stay informed on our restoration progress. android users experiencing difficulty accessing the app on their smartphones can get information from the mobile version of our site at entergy.com.
  2. sign up for text alerts. from your cell phone, text r e g to 368374, or visit entergytext.com.
  3. follow us on twitter.com slash entergy or facebook.com/entergy.

arkansas editorial team