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Insights > Entergy Arkansas winter storm update – 1/30/23, 3 p.m.
Entergy Arkansas winter storm update – 1/30/23, 3 p.m.
01/30/2023
According to the National Weather Service, a widespread winter storm is expected to impact Arkansas through Wednesday. The forecast calls for below freezing temperatures, a wintry mix of precipitation today, beginning in northwest Arkansas and spreading east and southeast with freezing rain throughout the state. Another batch of precipitation will spread on Tuesday with mainly freezing rain and rain. Wind gusts are expected to be within 7-15 mph for much of the state, with winds up to 20-25 mph in eastern/southeastern Arkansas.
We are prepared for severe weather and have assembled our restoration resources, along with mutual assistance crews from outside the state, to ensure we have the people and resources ready to respond to outages quickly and safely should they occur, and we recommend customers prepare as well. For preparation tips and cold weather updates, visit https://entergy.com/cold.
WINTER WEATHER RESTORATION PROCESS
If there are widespread outages, we will deploy scouts to assess damage in all affected areas. It is on these assessments that we base our estimated restoration times. We will communicate these estimates with you, updating as new information becomes available. Our crews will simultaneously be restoring service where it is deemed safe to do so. We ask for your patience, and please know restoring your power safely and quickly is our top priority.
Please be aware the restoration process can be hampered by the surge of instantaneous electrical demand from appliances (heating units, water heaters, etc.) when service is restored to your location, potentially overloading protective devices on Entergy’s electrical system. To help mitigate this problem, Entergy encourages you to turn off any electrical heaters or electrical appliances that can easily be turned off until power is restored.
As with any weather event, please be mindful of the following safety tips:
- 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, damaged or downed poles or other damaged equipment.
- 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. Again, stay away from downed power lines.
- Keep away from the immediate areas where crews are working. There is always the danger of moving equipment and the possibility of construction materials, limbs or overhead wires falling to the ground.
- 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.
- Do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation. Use them only outdoors, following all manufacturers’ safety guidelines.
- Turn off any electrical appliances that can easily be turned to the off position until power is restored.
- Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.
- Try to stay off the roads in affected areas. 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. The best way to get information about outages is via Entergy’s View Outage page on our website. Additional resources for your convenience:
- Download our app for your smartphone at entergy.com/app or visit Entergy Storm Center to stay informed on our restoration progress.
- Sign up for text alerts. From your cell phone, text R E G to 368374, or visit entergytext.com.
- Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @EntergyARK.
- Follow updates in your local news media, like radio, television, and newspapers.
