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Storm Center > Preparing for colder months ahead
Preparing for colder months ahead
12/19/2024
Hurricane season came to an official end on the last day of November and cooler temps are starting to arrive. Even if we live or work where extremely cold temperatures are not persistent, it's still important to be prepared for freezing and inclement weather. As we know, cold snaps can happen without much warning.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, a developing La Niña is expected to persist through the winter season. We can expect a warmer and drier season for our four-state service area. However, a sudden stratospheric disturbance or SSD is possible this season which can lead to short but extremely cold weather fronts like those we endured in recent years.
In January, severe thunderstorms hit Arkansas and knocked out power to approximately 82,000 customers. In 2022 and 2023, parts of our service area experienced severe winter weather that brought high winds, freezing rains and ice accumulation.
We’re storm ready, 365 days a year
To ensure our company is prepared for the winter weather ahead we continue to implement unique readiness plans at each power plant and review measures taken with transmission lines and transmission facilities, while reviewing critical systems and infrastructure preparedness across the grid.
When a weather threat arises, we ramp up support. We use forecasts and computer models based on experience with previous storms to predict damages and associated restoration resource needs. Based on those estimates, the company may call on restoration workers from around the country if needed to aid in restoring power safely and quickly for our customers. Entergy continuously plans and improves the process of assessing damage, positioning personnel in the right place with the required materials to restore power as safely and quickly as possible.
We take steps to maintain and control vegetation across our service area, completing annual clearing of right-of-way areas to minimize the impact from fallen trees or branches following a storm. Prior to storms impacting our area, vegetation crews perform pre-storm patrols of circuits to mitigate any imminent threats within the right of way. Our year-round storm preparations include the vegetation management program and the targeted “ground to sky” vegetation trimming, which removes tree limbs that would normally have been above the power line. We also use artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to help predict when trimming may be needed.
Customers should prepare now
Being prepared can help keep you safe. Get ready before weather threatens your area by having an emergency plan in place. Find safekeeping resources on our Storm Center:
- Get prepared: Make a plan, make a kit.
- Prepare your home: Winterize inside and out.
- Your mobile phone: A lifeline during a disaster.
- Stay informed: Download the app, report an outage.
- Stay safe: Safety after the storm.
- Generator safety: Know the hazards.
- Gas safety: Know the signs.
- Extreme cold safety: Indoor and outdoor tips.
Verify your contact information in your online myEntergy account before severe weather strikes, so you receive our notifications. If a storm impacts your area, you can report an outage quickly and easily through our digital options – using either our free mobile app, online at myEntergy.com or by texting OUT to 36778.
