Entergy Mississippi workers are deep into the restoration process and are prepared for another round of winter weather on Saturday, including freezing temperatures with high winds. This new wave of cold and blustery weather could impact restoration.
Our teams have safely restored power to about 55,000 customers, more than 80% of customers who lost service at the peak of the storm. However, that number doesn’t tell the full story. This storm has caused outages for more than 87,000 customers in total over this week. As crews restored power, new outages have continued to occur due to ongoing damage from ice-laden trees and power lines. As of 8 p.m., approximately 12,340 customers remain without power.
Our full workforce of more than 2,800 company employees, contractors and mutual aid workers from more than 20 states and Canada are strategically positioned throughout our service area. As crews complete restoration in one area, they move to support crews in other parts of our service territory. For example, there are now almost 700 lineworkers working in hard-hit areas such as Grenada, Winona and Batesville.
We are committed to restoring power to our customers, businesses and families as quickly and safely as it is possible to do so. Estimated restoration times may change as winter weather continues to affect our area. The latest updates can be found on our View Outages map. Customers in the Grenada and surrounding areas may extend beyond Sunday. We have made notable progress in our restoration efforts, including:
- Completed damage assessment of our transmission system. We’ve returned 30 line sections – or 244 miles – of transmission lines to service. We have also returned 22 substations to service. This enables us to restore customers more quickly once distribution repairs are made. We are working to return to service an additional substation and one transmission line.
- We’re continuing distribution damage assessment in the hardest-to-reach areas. As of 6 p.m., we’ve assessed more than 98% of our service area for damage to our distribution system. We have found approximately 1,275 poles, 5,200 spans – approximately 270 miles – of downed wires, 280 transformers and 685 cross arms damaged. We expect to complete damage assessment for our region by Friday evening, however we will keep scouts in the hardest-hit areas to help assess any additional damage that may occur overnight.
Customers can find specific information about estimated restoration times for their area by clicking the banner at the top of our View Outages map.
Important information for customers
Customers whose neighborhoods have been restored but who are still without power may have damage to electrical equipment attached to their home or business.
- Check for damage to your weatherhead, meter base or service entrance.
- If damage is present, contact a licensed electrician to make repairs.
- If equipment appears undamaged, text OUT to 36778 or call 1-800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
- After repairs are completed, call 1-800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749) to request service reconnection.
More information is available at entergy.com/stormcenter/weatherhead.
What to expect during restoration
We understand how frustrating it can be to see crews leave an area before power is restored. Restoration follows a specific sequence based on how electricity flows through the system and prioritizes critical facilities such as hospitals. Crews will return as soon as upstream repairs are completed.
If you don’t see crews working nearby, they may be repairing another part of the system that must be restored before power can safely reach your home.
For safety reasons, customers are asked not to approach workers at job sites, as these areas can be dangerous and interruptions may slow restoration progress.
Workforce safety protocols
To protect worker safety and manage fatigue, restoration personnel generally do not work more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period and do not exceed 13 consecutive days without a rest period. For the safety of our crews, we cannot use our bucket trucks until sustained winds are less than 30 mph. These protocols ensure crews can work safely and effectively while restoring power as quickly as conditions allow.
Entergy Mississippi remains focused on restoring power as safely and quickly as possible and appreciates customers’ patience during this challenging winter weather event.
Customer safety and community resources
Customers should continue to prioritize safety while outages persist.
- Road conditions: Please be aware that roads may be hazardous or closed during restoration efforts. Road conditions and closure information can be found here from Mississippi Department of Transportation.
- Generator safety: Never use generators indoors or in and never connect a generator directly to home wiring without proper transfer equipment.
- Heating safety: Never use ovens, grills or outdoor heating devices to heat your home.
- Downed power lines: Always assume downed lines are energized and dangerous — stay away and report them immediately by calling 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) or your local police/fire department.
Be aware of scams
Customers are urged to remain on alert as severe weather increases scam attempts. Remember, Entergy will never demand immediate payment from customers over the phone. If a call sounds suspicious, hang up and call 1-800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749) to speak directly with an Entergy customer service representative.
Stay connected
Customers are encouraged to stay informed through Entergy’s Storm Center for real-time outage updates, safety information and restoration progress at our Storm Center: www.entergy.com/stormcenter.
Download the Entergy app. Customers can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at their home or business.
Check Entergy’s View Outages map. Maps show where outages are located and give information about restoration progress. Outages can be reported using the Entergy mobile app, online at myEntergy.com, or by texting OUT to 36778.
Storm-related updates are also shared on social media.
