Insights > Entergy Arkansas storm update – 4/3/23, 11 a.m.

Entergy Arkansas storm update – 4/3/23, 11 a.m.

04/03/2023

Crews work around debris piled up from the Wynne tornado.
Crews work around debris piled up from the Wynne tornado.

Crews continue to restore power to customers who lost it during tornados that occurred last Friday, March 31. Assessments of the damage are completed, and some customers still without power may receive messages regarding updated restoration times as more details become clearer. As always, customers can check the outage map for their specific location at entergy.com/viewoutages.

Customers who have structures that are destroyed and cannot take power are asked to inform Entergy by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749).

About 3,300 workers are in the Little Rock, Jacksonville, Sherwood and Wynne areas rebuilding the electric system.

About 90 percent of customers who can safely take power to their homes and businesses are expected to be restored by late Thursday night, if not before.

Crews are in the hardest-hit areas, rebuilding the system with thicker, stronger poles and in some cases, concrete poles, to improve system infrastructure and make it more resilient. More than 1,500 utility poles and nearly 2,000 spans of wire were damaged or destroyed by the tornados.

The restoration process is slow and methodical, as crews are having to maneuver around piles of debris and hard-to-access areas.

Much of the restoration process is taking place in rear lots where crews must clear and work around storm debris to access the lines and use backyard machines to get equipment in confined areas. In some cases, workers must carry the equipment into the yards and manually climb poles to restore power. Specialized equipment such as helicopters, backyard machines, excavators and bull dozers are being used to assist with storm restoration efforts in the hardest hit areas.

The weather forecast calls for more severe weather this week, which could cause delays in restoration and possibly more outages. 

We will continue to provide additional estimated restoration times in specific areas that remain without power as damage assessment is near completion. We appreciate your continued patience as we work diligently to safely restore power and build back a more resilient system.

County/Town Information

(4/3/23; 11:00 a.m.)

Pulaski County and Surrounding Areas

West Markham & Cammack Village

Entergy crews are continuing safe restoration of service today. As of 8 a.m., power has been restored to over 31,500 customers. Damage assessment is 98% complete in the affected areas and is expected to be completed by the end of today. Damage includes 747 broken poles and 846 spans of downed power lines. Over 1,100 line and vegetation workers are working to safely restore power to West Markham, Cammack Village, Reservoir, River Ridge, Walnut Valley, Pleasant Valley, and Midtown. Additional personnel and resources are enroute to help with restoration efforts. Entergy expects most customers that can safely receive service to be restored by Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 11 p.m. Outages for some customers in heavily impacted areas could see restoration times extended.

Reservoir District: Entergy has 40 Line Crews and additional vegetation crews working to repair multiple broken poles in this area.

Rock Creek: 25 Line Crews and additional vegetation crews are in this area repairing multiple broken poles and several spans. 

Cammack Village: 18 Line Crews and 12 vegetation crews are working to clear debris and repair multiple broken poles and multiple spans of downed wire. Repairs are taking additional time here due to the amounts of vegetative debris that is creating accessibility issues. Crews are utilizing specialized equipment to expedite safe restoration. 

Napa Valley/St Charles: 12 Line Crews and additional vegetation crews are working to clear debris and repair multiple broken poles and downed wire. 

Jacksonville

Damage assessment has been completed in the Jacksonville area. Currently 1,763 customers remain without power. Entergy has additional resources in the area to shorten outage duration as much as possible. As of 8 a.m., April 3, 2023, crews are assigned to the following streets in the Jacksonville area: Roosevelt Rd., Smart St., Pearl St., Hickman St., Jane Dr., S Oak St., Stevenson St., Eastview Dr., McHenry St., Stone St., Virginia Cir., Loop Acres Rd., S Redmond Rd., Highland Dr., Yellow Stone Dr., Melrose Dr., Oak Forest Dr., Pinnacle Dr., High Meadow Dr., Riverwood Dr., Highway 161, School Dr., Dupree Dr., Shannondoah St., and Heather St.  Entergy expects 90% of customers who can safely receive service to be restored by Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 11 p.m. Some customers in heavily impacted areas could experience extended restoration times.

Sherwood

Damage assessment has been completed in the Sherwood area. Currently 412 customers remain without power. Entergy has additional resources in the area to shorten outage duration as much as possible. As of 8 a.m., April 3, 2023, crews are working outages along Kiehl Ave., and the east side of Indian Head Lake. Entergy expects 90% of customers who can safely receive service to be restored by Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 11 p.m. Some customers in heavily impacted areas could experience extended restoration times.

Cross County and Surrounding Areas

Damage assessments are complete. There are 601 spans of downed power lines, 414 broken poles, 116 damaged transformers and 358 cross arms.

The storm caused extensive damage to the transmission grid in the area and crews continue to work safely to repair the damaged transmission lines. Crews will continue to work to repair services throughout the city. Our work plan includes areas of Morningside Drive, Sunset Drive, Airpark Road, Languille Ave., Washington and all along Terry St.

We will begin working to repair our facilities along rear-lot lines in Bridges Ave, Languille Ave, and Donald Ave early this week.  We will be removing vegetation and debris to clear access and replace facilities that were destroyed. We will make our best effort to avoid damaging personal property that is entangled in the debris, but please consider relocating personal items of value before the work to remove debris begins.

Approximately 223 Entergy workers and contracted resources are engaged in Wynne to safely restore power to impacted customers. Entergy Arkansas expects customers who can safely receive service to be restored by Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 11 p.m. Outages for some customers in heavily impacted areas could see restoration times extended.

Parkin

We have identified 125 broken poles, 200 spans of wire down, and 90 damaged transformers.  Crews will continue to replace broken poles throughout the day on Monday, April 2, 2023, and Tuesday, April 3, 2023. Most customers who can safely take service are expected to be restored by Tuesday, April 3, at 11 p.m. Outages for some customers in heavily impacted areas could see restoration times extended.

Shelters Opened for Customers

Site

Address

Wynne Boys and Girls Club

325 Magnolia St, Wynne, AR 72396

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with our impacted customers and communities. While crews work to restore power, Entergy Arkansas urges customers to keep safety first.

Here are some tips to keep you safe while we restore your power.

  • 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 Arkansas’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 Arkansas Storm Center to stay informed on our restoration progress.
  • Sign up for text alerts. From your cellphone, 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.

Arkansas Editorial Team