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Insights > Entergy Arkansas winter storm update – 2/24/22, 10:30 a.m.
Entergy Arkansas winter storm update – 2/24/22, 10:30 a.m.
02/24/2022
Freezing rain and ice accumulations overnight have greatly impacted the central and eastern areas of the state producing widespread damage and causing more than 27,000 customer outages at peak this Thursday morning February 24, 2022.
Today the forecast calls for additional winter precipitation across the state with the highest ice accumulations expected to range from 1/4 to 3/8 inches over the central and eastern areas of the state, and power outages could fluctuate and increase due to continued precipitation. Wind gusts are predicted to resume this evening from northwest to southeast Arkansas in the wake of the ending precipitation.
Entergy Arkansas continues to monitor the weather as more patchy freezing rain is expected throughout the day and can create problems for an electric system, making for hazardous or treacherous driving conditions, potentially slowing restoration.
We are prepared for severe weather today and have assembled our restoration resources, including another request for additional mutual assistance crews from outside the state, to ensure we have the people and resources ready to respond to outages as quickly and safely as possible.
For additional inclement weather tips and storm updates, visit entergy.com/stormcenter.
STORM RESTORATION PROCESS
As the winter storm impacts Arkansas, we will deploy scouts to assess damage. Our scouts will work as quickly and safely as possible, in sometimes very dangerous conditions, as the storm moves across our service area. As damages are being assessed, we will communicate with you the conditions found along with an estimated restoration time when available and our progress toward restoring your power. While our scouts gather more information on damages, our crews will simultaneously be restoring service where it is deemed safe to do so. Some customers may experience intermittent power disruptions during the restoration process. We ask for your patience, and please know that safely restoring your power 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.
