As wintry weather moves across Arkansas this weekend, Entergy Arkansas is closely monitoring conditions and ready to respond. In addition to some snow, forecasts indicate this event is more likely to bring ice accumulation that could be up to half an inch in some areas. This can pose serious challenges to the electric system.
Entergy Arkansas is storm ready 365 days a year, with crews, equipment, and emergency plans in place to respond quickly and safely if outages occur.
“Winter weather can be unpredictable, especially when ice is involved,” said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. “We’re prepared to respond and by staying informed and prepared customers play an important role in helping us restore power quickly and safely.”
Why ice is especially dangerous
Ice causes more damage than snow because it clings and builds, adding tremendous weight to power lines, poles, and tree limbs, especially when temperatures remain extremely cold.
- 1/8 inch of ice can coat lines and small limbs, leading to tree branches breaking and falling onto power lines
- 1/4 inch of ice can cause younger evergreen trees to lean into distribution lines, increasing outages
- 1/2 inch of ice on power lines can add up to 500 pounds of extra weight, significantly increasing the risk of damage
The period just after a storm passes can be particularly dangerous. Extreme cold makes materials like wood and metal brittle, and shifting or falling ice can bring down limbs or lines. Customers should stay clear of falling ice or debris and always keep a safe distance from power lines and work crews.
What Entergy Arkansas is doing
To help reduce the risk of outages and support restoration efforts if needed, Entergy Arkansas has:
- Inspected substations, transmission lines and other critical infrastructure.
- Insulated power plant equipment and piping where needed.
- Trimmed vegetation near power lines to help reduce tree-related outages.
- Reviewed emergency response plans and stood up storm resources in key locations.
These efforts complement our ongoing reliability work to keep the electric system resilient throughout the year.
What customers should expect during restoration
If outages do occur, restoration efforts following winter storms can be dangerous for a multitude of reasons, including weighed-down vegetation, icy road conditions and freezing temperatures. Winter weather conditions may also limit safe access for crews and require additional time to make repairs. Customers are urged to take precautions now and not impede our work zones should outages occur for both their safety and the safety of Entergy crews.
“We understand how difficult it can be to be without power during extreme cold, and we ask for patience as our crews work safely to restore service,” Ventrell Thompson, vice president of customer service said. “Our goal is always to restore power as quickly as possible, but we will never compromise on safety—for our customers or our employees.”
When safe to do so, crews will deploy damage assessors, known as scouts, to evaluate system impacts. Restoration estimates will be shared as soon as assessments are finalized. The restoration process is deliberate and systematic:
- Emergency services
- Large blocks of customers
- Lines serving neighborhoods
- Individual services
Updates will be provided throughout the event. Customers can get the most up-to-date outage information by visiting Entergy’s View Outage map, using the Entergy mobile app, or signing up for text alerts.
How customers can prepare their homes
Entergy Arkansas encourages customers to take steps now to help stay safe and reduce risks during outages:
- Turn off or unplug non-essential appliances if an outage occurs to reduce strain when power is restored. This also helps speed restoration.
- Keep extra blankets, flashlights, batteries, and a charged mobile device on hand
- Safely use space heaters according to manufacturer instructions and never leave them unattended
- Never use generators indoors or near windows; operate them outdoors only
- Check on elderly neighbors, family members, or others who may be more vulnerable to extreme cold
More cold weather safety tips are available at entergy.com/cold and entergy.com/stormcenter.
Warming centers are available across Arkansas
For customers who need a warm place during extreme cold, local warming centers are open in several communities, including:
Little Rock
- Little Rock Compassion Center – 3618 W. Roosevelt Rd. (24 hours)
- Dunbar Community Center – 1001 W. 16th St. (9 p.m. – 9 a.m.)
North Little Rock
- North Little Rock Community Center – 2700 Willow St. (opens at 6 p.m.)
Conway
- McGee Center – 3800 College Ave.
- Don Owens Sports Complex – 10 Lower Ridge Rd. (overnight, check-in required)
- Conway Emergency Shelter – 1116 Gum St.
Hot Springs
- Resource Center, 109 Hobson Ave.
Searcy
- Carmichael Center, 801 S. Elm St.
Benton
- Saline County Warming Center, 917 N. East St.
Pine Bluff
- Opportunity House, 1305 E. Sixth Ave.
West Memphis
- Roberta Jackson Neighborhood Center, 1300 E. Polk Ave.
Jonesboro
- Allen Park Community Center, 3609 Race St.
El Dorado
- Salvation Army, 419 S. Madison Ave.
Availability and hours may vary by location.
We’re here to help
In anticipation of extreme cold temperatures extending into early next week, disconnections for non-payment have been suspended for all customers through Monday, Jan. 26 at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops.
We are committed to delivering affordable, safe power to the communities we serve and helping customers manage their electric usage to generate savings on their bill. For customers struggling to pay their bill, we offer payment arrangements and flexible payment options to help them pay their energy bill. Customers are encouraged to visit BillToolkit.entergy.com for additional resources. They can also reach out to us to manage their account online at myEntergy or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) for assistance.
Staying informed and safe
Customers are encouraged to:
- Report outages at myEntergy.com/reportoutage or through the Entergy mobile app
- Sign up for text alerts by texting REG to 368374
- Follow @EntergyARK on social media and monitor local news
- Make sure contact information is correct on myEntergy
For ongoing updates, preparation tips, and safety information, visit entergy.com/stormcenter.
