Insights > Entergy Arkansas Restoration Efforts for April 12 Thunderstorms

Entergy Arkansas Restoration Efforts for April 12 Thunderstorms

By: David Lewis • Senior Communications Specialist

04/15/2020

This was the scene in Smackover Tuesday afternoon.

A large line of severe thunderstorms with straight-line winds and tornadoes passed through Arkansas late Sunday evening April 12 causing more than 128,000 customer outages across the state. The heaviest area of impact is south of Interstate I-40. Additional resources have been mobilized to assist with the restoration. Restoration may be slower than normal due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements. Repairs are underway, even as damage is being assessed.  Estimated restoration times and area-specific details will be communicated when available. In some cases, customers may need to make repairs to customer-owned equipment – the meter base – where electricity enters the structure. If damaged, then repaired, obtain inspections before Entergy is able to safely restore power to these locations.

Southeast Arkansas

Arkansas County Stuttgart Area

Stuttgart Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, approximately 3,556 customers remain without power, down from a peak of 6,500.  All damage assessments were 100 percent complete today. The Baptist Hospital in Stuttgart has been restored today, and crews continue to repair equipment to restore other critical customers such as police stations and fire departments.  Crews will continue to repair equipment throughout the evening.  All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 17.

Dewitt Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, approximately 1,575 customers remain without power.  Damage assessments are 100 percent complete today. The Dewitt Hospital is expected to receive power by 6:00 p.m. Thursday April 16.  Crews will continue work into the evening to repair damaged equipment.  All other customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 17. 

Bradley County

Warren & Hermitage

As of 4:00 p.m. on April 15, there are 4,182 customers without power in the Warren and Hermitage service areas. Damage assessments will be 100 percent complete today. The damage assessed includes 3 broken poles and 46 locations with downed wire. Our work plan for the evening is to continue making repairs on the West Pine Street area, which will begin restoring power to the northwestern half of Warren. All customers who can safely take power are expected to receive power by 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 17. 

Cleveland

Rison & Kingsland Area

As of 4:00 p.m. on April 15, there are 1,342 customers without power in the Rison service area. Damage assessment will be 100 percent complete today.  Damage in the area includes 11 broken utility poles and 38 locations with downed wire. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 17.

Dallas County

Fordyce & New Edinburg Area

As of 4:00 p.m. on April 15, there are 2,716 customers without power in the Fordyce and New Edinburg service areas. Damage assessment will continue into the evening and has identified 10 broken utility poles and 40 locations with downed wire. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 6:00 p.m. Friday April 17.

Desha County

Dumas Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, 2020, approximately 446 customers are without power in the Dumas, Pickens, and Mitchellville areas. This is down from the initial customer outage of 1,754. Damage assessment will continue into the evening near the intersection of Main and Wolf Street. Damage identified so far includes 20 broken poles, 17 spans of down wire, and damaged equipment. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 9:00 p.m. tonight.

Drew County

Monticello & Wilmar Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, there are approximately 3,074 customers without power in the Monticello and Wilmar service areas. Damage assessment is 100% complete.  Crews are working to make repairs to 34 broken poles, 62 spans of downed wire and over 58 additional pieces of damaged equipment. 53 Entergy personnel are currently making repairs East of Main St as well as south of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 9:00 p.m. tonight.

Jefferson County

Altheimer Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, approximately 644 customers remain without power. Crews are in the area repairing equipment that was damaged due to the storm. Efforts will continue this evening and restoration will begin as soon as it is safe to do so.  Due to the severity of the equipment damage, restoration efforts may be prolonged. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 17.

Pine Bluff Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, there are approximately 14,135 customers without power in the Pine Bluff area. Damage assessment and restoration continues and includes 84 broken poles, 165 spans of wire on the ground, 36 damaged transformers, and 64 damaged pieces of equipment so far. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 8:00 p.m. Thursday, April 16.

Lincoln County

Gould Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, 2020, approximately 471 customers are without power in the Gould and Varner service areas as a result of downed transmission structures and several broken poles. Crews are working near Highway 65 in between Varner and Gould this evening to repair 3 broken poles and wire down that require off-road equipment to access the area. Most customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 9:00 p.m. tonight.

South Arkansas

Calhoun County

Thornton Area

As of 4:00 p.m. on April 15, there are 322 customers without power in the Thornton service area. Storm damage assessment teams continue to identify damage today, and restoration efforts are in progress. We expect to have all customers who can safely take power restored by 6:00 p.m. on April 17.

Columbia County

Magnolia Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, there are approximately 49 customers in Magnolia without power.  Damage remaining includes 10 broken poles, 18 spans of downed wire and dozens of trees on our equipment. We have crews working to restore power on English Street late into the evening, April 15, and expect to have power restored to customers in the immediate Magnolia area by 11:00 p.m. on April 15.

Ouachita County

Bearden Area

As of 4:00 p.m. on April 15, there are 621 customers without power in the Bearden service area. Storm damage assessment teams continue to identify damage today, and restoration efforts are in progress. We expect to have all customers who can safely take power restored by 6:00 p.m. on April 17.

Camden Area

As of 4:00 p.m. today, power has been restored to over 5,800 customers in Camden including the Ouachita County Medical Center, the Police Station, the Ouachita County Detention Center, as well as other critical services.  Currently, 998 customers remain without power. We anticipate another 500 customers will be restored by 10:00 p.m., April 15. Damage assessments are nearly complete, and have revealed 16 broken poles, 29 spans of downed wire, and 9 other pieces of damaged equipment remaining to be repaired. 60 additional linemen are allocated between Camden, El Dorado, Chidester, & Smackover. Most customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 9:00 p.m. on April 16. We will communicate any updates to restoration time estimates tomorrow morning, April 16.

Chidester Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, there are approximately 354 customers without power in the Chidester area. Damage includes a downed power line between Camden to Chidester.  We are having difficulty repairing this line at this time due to the limited access. Most customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 8:00 p.m. tonight. We expect to have any remaining customers who can safely take power restored by 9:00 p.m. on April 16.

Stephens & Waldo Area

Approximately 2,671 customers were without power in the Stephens area as of 8:00 a.m. April 15, 2020. We have restored power to 1,630 customers, leaving 1,041 customers still without power as of 4:30 p.m. We will continue power restoration efforts on Striker Paper Rd, Ouachita Rd, and Elk Roofing Rd. into the late evening hours of April 15. An additional 1,276 customers remain without power in the Waldo area. Entergy crews are working throughout Waldo with concentrated efforts on Dogwood Rd, Olive Rd, Guce Rd, and East McKissack Rd today. Further damage assessments today have revealed 17 broken poles, 43 additional spans of wire down, and three additional fallen trees to be repaired. Two substations that deliver power to the area were restored last night at approximately 11:00 p.m. providing power to grocery stores located in the area. We expect to have all customers who can safely take power restored by 9:00 p.m. on April 16

Union County

El Dorado Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, power has been restored to over 2,000 customers in the El Dorado area. We are continuing to focus restoration efforts in the area for 125 remaining customers without power. Most of the damage assessment is complete. Damage identified so far includes 15 broken poles, 39 spans downed wire, and 3 transformers still needing replacement. 60 additional linemen are allocated between Camden, El Dorado, Chidester, & Smackover. We expect to have most customers restored by 9:00 p.m. on April 16. We will communicate any updates to restoration time estimates tomorrow morning, April 16.

Norphlet & Smackover Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, approximately 1,625 customers have been restored in the Norphlet and Smackover area. We are continuing to focus restoration efforts in the area for the 204  remaining customers without power. Damage assessments reveal 2 broken poles, 11 spans of downed wire, and 7 other pieces of damaged equipment remaining to be repaired. 60 additional linemen are allocated between Camden, El Dorado, Chidester, & Smackover. We expect to have all customers who can safely take power restored by 10:00 p.m. on April 16. We will communicate any updates to restoration time estimates tomorrow morning, April 16.

Southwest Arkansas

Clark County

Arkadelphia & Gurdon Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, approximately 923 customers without power in the Arkadelphia area and 3,886 in the Gurdon Area as of 3:00 p.m., April 15. Entergy workers continue restoration efforts in the Arkadelphia area including Oriole Road and Quapaw Road. Entergy crews are also working along Hwy. 26 between Antoine and Delight. Crews are in Gurdon replacing broken poles to multiple locations and near the junction of Hwy. 67 and 182. The city of Gurdon is primarily affected due to damage to transmission line structures at this time. Repairs to the structures are expected to be completed by 9:00 p.m. tonight, April 15. These repairs will restore power to Clark county Industrial Park in Gum Springs. Additional crews are in Prescott on County Road 37, near Blevins on Hwy. 371, and in Emmet on Hwy 299 both east and west.

All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16. Should you have structural damages and or damages to your electrical service connection equipment please ensure all repairs are completed as soon as possible to avoid any further service delays.

Nevada County

Prescott, Rosson, & Bluff City

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, approximately 577 customers are without power in the area. Entergy crews are targeting work on Hwy. 24 toward Bluff City, and will continue through the area as damage assessments have identified 9 broken poles, 45 spans of wire down, and over 30 damaged equipment locations remaining. Service to all customers in this area should be restored by 9:00 p.m. Thursday, April 16.

Grant County

Sheridan Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, approximately 1,041 customers are without power in the Sheridan area. Restoration efforts continue for 7 broken poles, 31 spans of wire on the ground, 1 damaged transformer, and 9 damaged pieces of equipment requiring repair. Customers that can safely take power are expected to be restored by 8:00 p.m. Thursday, April 16.

Hot Spring County

Malvern Area

As of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, approximately 2,947 customers without power in the Malvern area. Entergy workers continue with restoration efforts in the city of Malvern along Waco Road, Main Street, Gloster Court, and Section Line Road, and these areas are expected to be restored by 9:00 p.m. tonight, April 15. Along 15 miles on Hwy. 229 between Leola and Poyen crews are working to replace 27 broken poles as well as damaged equipment with an estimated restoration time of noon tomorrow, April 16. This will restore power to additional Leola area neighborhoods and locations. Entergy Crews moved into the Perla area today and expect to restore power tonight by 9:00 p.m.  Additional crews are working along Hwy. 9 South of Malvern and the Rockport area with an estimated restoration time of 9:00 p.m. tonight, April 15. Glen Rose area restoration efforts continue today with concentrated efforts to the neighborhoods around the school.

All customers who can safely take power are expected to receive power by 9:00 p.m. Thursday, April 16. Should you have structural damages and/or damages to your electrical service connection equipment please ensure all repairs are completed as soon as possible to avoid any further service delays.

Pike County

Delight Area

Approximately 485 customers are without power in Delight and surrounding areas as of 4:00 p.m. April 15. Damages in the area include 7 broken poles, 23 spans of wire down, and 12 damaged equipment locations remaining to be repaired. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 9:00 p.m. Thursday, April 16.

East Arkansas

Phillips County

Helena & West Helena Area

The thunderstorms caused more than 4,800 customer outages in the Helena area, leaving approximately 80% of the Entergy customers in the area without power. As of 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, approximately 2,895 remain without power. Damage assessment is 95% complete. Over 175 broken poles have been identified for repair. Approximately 105 workers are engaged to assess damage, clear fallen trees, and restore power in the area. Power has been restored to the police station, city waterworks, and the hospital. Work continues to restore power to sewer lift stations and other critical services. Areas expected to be restored tonight include locations and neighborhoods on Westwood Place, Nodaway Place, and Airport Road. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 11:00 p.m. on Friday, April 17.

Lake View, Oneida, Wabash, Elaine, Mellwood, & Crumrod Areas

The thunderstorms caused more than 1,800 customer outages in southern Phillips county, leaving approximately 70% of the Entergy customers in the area without power. As of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, approximately 795 remain without power. Damage assessment is 95% complete revealing over 95 broken poles needing repair. Approximately 70 workers are engaged to assess damage, clear fallen trees, and restore power in the area. Power was restored today to locations along Highway 44 in Wabash, and crews continue to work to replace 25 poles along Highway 20 west of Elaine with expectations to restore power to many customers in the area tonight. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 11:00 p.m. on Friday, April 17.

Northwest Arkansas

Conway County

Morrilton Area

As of 4:00 p.m. April 15, there are approximately 85 customers without power in the Morrilton area. Damage remaining to be repaired in the area include 2 broken poles, 3 spans of wire on the ground, and 1 damaged transformer. Crews are continuing to restore power in the area and most customers who can safely take power are expected to have electric service restored tonight by 9:00 p.m. April 15.

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 main electric panel. 
5. Do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation.
6. Turn off any electrical appliances that can easily be turned to the off position until power is restored.

We want to keep you informed and in control. The best way to get information about outages is via Entergy’s View Outage application on www.entergy.com:

1. Download our app for your smartphone at entergy.com/app or visit entergystormcenter.com to stay informed on our restoration progress.
2. Sign up for text alerts. From your cell phone, text R E G to 368374, or visit entergytext.com.
3. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @ EntergyARK.
4. Follow updates in your local news media, like radio, television and newspapers.

We at Entergy realize you have been greatly impacted during this difficult time.

Tags

Arkansas  Storm Center  4-12-20 Storms  Coronavirus 

David Lewis

Senior Communications Specialist