The hearts are with all the NWA residents, their families and restoration teams as recovery efforts continue.
Major restoration efforts are underway in Northwest Arkansas following at least one tornado and other extreme weather impacts that barreled through the region early Sunday morning.
SWEPCO assessors
SWEPCO assessors have painstakingly itemized extensive repairs at nearly 500 unique locations
Already, SWEPCO assessors have painstakingly itemized extensive repairs at nearly 500 unique locations. These repairs are required before power can safely be restored for all SWEPCO customers, including: 300 broken utility poles; 75 destroyed transformers and more than 6 miles of damaged conductor wires.
Assessments are ongoing and those impact numbers are expected to increase. To aid in the effort, more than 600 crew members have answered the call to support the Northwest Arkansas communities.
Additional tree and line crews
They estimate 95% of customers who can receive power should be restored by 10 p.m. Friday. They remain grateful for the support from these additional tree and line crews who have left their families to help them in this important effort, including their own sister utility, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO).
Now is the time for customers to determine whether their homes can receive power. SWEPCO cannot connect power to a home or business if there is damage to the service entrance, which is owned by the customer. Customers must have a licensed electrician repair damage before power can be restored.
ANY downed wires
Safety for the customers and crews is paramount. Please consider ANY downed wires and anything they may be touching as dangerous. Call 911 to report any hazards or call SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.
They ask for continued patience as the crews work as quickly and safely as possible. Please allow crews space to work and refrain from approaching them.
By the numbers
As of 2 p.m., Monday, approximately 15,000 customers are without power from the storms that brought strong winds, downed trees, and snapped more than 300 utility poles and significant spans of electrical wire.