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Insights > Entergy Mississippi Winter Storm Update – 2/15/21 @ 9 a.m.
Entergy Mississippi Winter Storm Update – 2/15/21 @ 9 a.m.
02/15/2021
Freezing rain, snow, and sleet arrived in the Entergy Mississippi service territory Sunday and into Monday morning. Extremely cold temperatures have accompanied this storm and are expected to last for much of the week. As of 9 a.m., about 3,080 customers are without power and our crews are restoring power where it is safe to do so.
Ice and road conditions will have an impact on our ability to travel and could delay restoration in some areas. The high level of instantaneous demand can hamper efforts to restore power. If you lose power, please unplug electric heating systems and appliances and turn them back on gradually after power is restored. Visit entergy.com/cold to learn more.
Along with standard storm preparations, Entergy employees are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic by taking additional steps. Crews will continue to practice social distancing, and we ask that customers do the same. For our safety and yours, please stay away from work zones.
These extreme cold weather conditions will create high demand for electricity over the next few days. Customers can help us manage through this period by taking additional measures to conserve energy.
- Lower the central thermostat to 68 degrees.
- Delay laundry, washing dishes, bathing and other non-essential uses of electricity.
- Wash clothes with cold water, cook foods at the lowest possible setting and refrain from opening the oven door while baking.
- Don’t allow warmed air to escape from the home.
Customers should keep these additional tips in mind:
Stay Safe
- Stay away from downed power lines. You can’t tell from looking at them whether they are energized or not, so assume they are. Report them to 1-800-9OUTAGE.
- Report your power outage online to Entergy Mississippi or call 1-800-9OUTAGE. There is no need to speak with a customer service representative to report an outage if completed online.
- If you have a portable generator, use it safely. DO NOT run it in an enclosed space. If connecting to the whole house, do so only if the connection has been installed by a licensed electrician to prevent back feed on to the distribution system.
- Do not open your refrigerator or freezer door. Food will stay cold much longer this way. If outside temperature is below freezing, consider placing food in an ice chest outside.
- Please stay clear of linemen as they work.
- Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.
- Try to stay off the roads in affected areas. Restoration crews can work safer and faster if they don’t have to work around traffic.
- Customers without power can help in the restoration process by turning off major appliances but leaving on a lamp or other light to indicate when power is restored. Then, gradually turn other appliances to spread out the increase in power usage over a longer time.
Be prepared
- Charge up mobile devices and back-up batteries.
- Review guidance at www.entergystormcenter.com.
- If you have medical equipment that requires electricity to properly function, take necessary steps to secure an alternative source of electricity in the event of a power disruption.
- Have an emergency kit including flashlights, medicine, first aid, blankets, water and food.
- Download the Entergy app and sign up for text updates.
- Report your power outage online to Entergy Mississippi or call 1-800-9OUTAGE.
More Ways to Conserve Electricity
Remember that extreme cold can drive increased electricity consumption. Follow these easy steps to reduce consumption and lower your usage:
- Heating can account for as much as 55% of your monthly electric bill. Setting the thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter is an easy way to reduce how much energy you use. Every degree above 68 on the thermostat can increase your bill by about 3%.
- Conserve hot water. Wrap your electric water heater with a water heater blanket that can be found at local home improvement stores and set the thermostat to 120 degrees or medium.
- Keep all doors and windows closed. Constant traffic will let out the warm air, forcing your heater to work harder to keep the room at the set temperature.
- Ensure fans are turning the right way. Fans should be run at a low speed clockwise during the winter. This helps keep the cold air from blowing down on you.
- Keep the air circulating. Don’t block heat registers or air returns with curtains or furniture.
- Leverage the sun. During the day, open your curtains and blinds to let in the warm sunlight. Close them at night to reduce heat loss.
For more tips and storm updates, visit entergy.com/winterweather. You can also follow Entergy Mississippi at Facebook.com/EntergyMS or Twitter.com/EntergyMS..
