Storm Center > Entergy Arkansas Restoration Update for Hurricane Laura 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30

Entergy Arkansas Restoration Update for Hurricane Laura 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30

08/30/2020

Replacing broken poles is a big part of storm restoration, and there have been many.
Replacing broken poles is a big part of storm restoration, and there have been many.

Hurricane Laura entered the Entergy Arkansas service area Thursday morning with heavy rains and tropical storm winds ranging from 40-50 mph and wind gusts up to 65 mph.  Although the initial storm system exited our service territory early Friday afternoon, we’ve experienced isolated thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday causing additional storm damage.  As of 6 p.m., power has been restored to approximately 93% of the customers who lost power as a result of these storms and 3,500 customers remain without power in the heaviest hit areas near El Dorado and Magnolia.  Nearly all customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight, with the possibility of some isolated cases carrying into tomorrow morning.

Should you have structural damages and/or damages to your electrical service connection equipment please ensure all repairs and any required inspections are completed as soon as possible to avoid any further service delays.

For specific information out your particular outage, check our outage map at http://www.entergy.com/viewoutages. Due to the additional safety measures our crews must take, restoration may take longer, especially where there are widespread outages. For storm tips and updates visit www.entergy.com/stormcenter.

Central Arkansas

Pulaski County

Little Rock Areas West of I-430

As of 6 p.m. there are less than 50 customers without power in the West Markham service area.  Damage include 3 spans of wire down that are partially inaccessible to repair.  We expect all customers who can safely receive power are expected to be restored by midnight, with the possibility of few isolated customers carrying into tomorrow morning.

Little Rock Areas South of I-630

As of 6 p.m., there are approximately 106 customers without power, down from a peak of 4,000 from when the storm first impacted our area two days ago. Damages remaining include 3 broken poles, 4 spans of downed wire, and 11 damaged pieces of equipment still needing to be repaired. Crews and resources arrived in the area this morning, totaling over 70 workers, and are assisting with restoration efforts today.

We will continue our efforts to restore power to the remaining customers in the Rock Creek area of Little Rock. Most of the outages are related to residential customers with some commercial customers also being affected. We expect all customers who can safely receive power are expected to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight, with the possibility of some isolated customers carrying into tomorrow morning

South Arkansas

Ouachita County

As of 6 p.m., there are approximately 305 customers without power in the Camden area, down from a peak of 2,970 with 90% restored.  Damage assessments have identified several broken poles, 4 crossarms, and 10 spans of wire down needing repair.  Over 150 additional personnel have been assigned to Union and Ouachita Counties to assist in restoration efforts.

Crews will be working in the Cherokee Avenue, Bradley Ferry Road, California Avenue and Fort Southerland Park area.  We expect most customers who can safely receive power to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight.

Southwest Arkansas

Columbia County

As of 6 p.m., approximately 476 customers that were affected by Thursday’s storm remain without power in the Magnolia area which includes Lewisville and Waldo. All customers who can safely take power are expected to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight, with the possibility of some isolated customers carrying into tomorrow morning.

Union County

El Dorado

As of 6 p.m., there are approximately 1,916 customers without power in the El Dorado area which includes Junction City, Strong and Huttig/Felsenthal.  Junction city has just over 130 customers remaining out, down from 700 with over 80% restored. Over 65 broken poles and crossarms have been identified at this time and over 64 spans of downed wire, as damage assessments are 95% complete.  Over 150 additional personnel have been assigned to Union and Ouachita Counties to assist in restoration efforts.

Junction City area is expected to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight  as well as, areas in El Dorado along Highway 82, Hibank Road, Mt. Holly, Tanglewood Drive Woodland Drive, and Calion. The remaining customers, who can safely receive power, will be restored by 10 p.m. Monday.

Norphlet/Smackover

As of 6 p.m., there are approximately 138 customers without power, mainly in the Smackover area, with over 95% customers restored.  Damage assessments are over 95% complete.   

Most customers in the City of Louann were restored on Saturday with the remaining in LouAnn expected to be restored earlier today. We expect most of the remaining customers who can safely receive power to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight.

Southeast Arkansas

Ashley County

Hamburg and Crossett

As of 4 p.m., we have restored service to 95% of customers affected in this area by Hurricane Laura. Currently there are 304 customers remaining without power in the Crossett/Hamburg service area.  About 160 line workers and support personnel are working diligently in multiple areas in and around Crossett to restore power.  Estimated restoration times may vary case by case, however we expect all customers who can safely receive power to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight, with the possibility of some isolated customers carrying into tomorrow morning.

As with any weather event, please be mindful of the following safety tips:

  • 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, 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.
  • Keep away from the immediate areas where crews are working. There is always the danger of moving equipment and the possibility of construction materials or 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.
  • 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’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 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