SWEPCO, alongside fellow utility teams, is making significant progress in restoring power to Northwest Arkansas after a severe storm caused substantial disruptions.
By 10 a.m. on Sunday, they successfully restored electricity to 91% of customers able to receive power in the affected regions. The endeavor follows the destructive Memorial Weekend storms, which unleashed multiple tornadoes and intense winds, culminating in substantial outages across the area.
Efforts in Rogers, Arkansas
In Rogers, Arkansas, SWEPCO crews have concentrated their resources on the most severely affected zones, showcasing their dedication to community rebuilding and customer support.
The complex and demanding repair work saw SWEPCO dealing with a peak outage of 19,000 customers in the aftermath. Overall, the county experienced over 50,000 power interruptions, affecting various service providers including Carroll Electric and the City of Bentonville.
Resource Mobilization
Each provider worked conjointly with local authorities to restore power efficiently and effectively
Benton County, home to approximately 300,000 residents, faced a significant electrical service disruption, with a peak tally of around 94,100 outages. This included around 19,000 from SWEPCO, 65,000 from Carroll Electric, and 10,100 from the City of Bentonville. Each provider worked conjointly with local authorities to restore power efficiently and effectively.
Details of the Damage
The severe storm led to extensive damage in Northwest Arkansas, with SWEPCO and partners identifying over 400 snapped utility poles, more than 10 miles of downed lines, at least 100 damaged transformers, and numerous repair sites.
As SWEPCO restored power to thousands, approximately 1,660 customers still awaited service as of Sunday morning. This restoration effort is complicated, requiring both proficiency and coordination across various sectors.
Customer Communications
Customers signed up for SWEPCO's mobile alerts receive updates on estimated restoration times, which may fluctuate based on conditions. Those with household damages must resolve issues before power can be reinstated to them.
Community Gratitude and Safety
SWEPCO expresses gratitude to local officials, first responders, and the Arkansas National Guard for their unwavering support in ensuring that crews operate swiftly and safely. Residents are reminded to maintain a safe distance from work zones, avoid driving in flagged areas, and not approach crews as they continue restoration efforts.
Post-Restoration Activities
Some debris resulting from storm restoration will remain until collection schedules are confirmed once service restoration is completed. SWEPCO remains committed to bringing power back to all affected customers, emphasizing community strength and cooperation throughout this challenging recovery phase.
SWEPCO crews, in tandem with other utility professionals, worked to rebuild key infrastructure and restore power to thousands of customers in Northwest Arkansas. As of 10 a.m. Sunday, they have restored power to 91 percent of customers who can receive power in this area.
The remaining customers without power are in areas hit especially hard by the Memorial Weekend storms. That line of severe weather produced at least seven tornadoes and hurricane-strength straight-line winds.
SWEPCO’s peak outage
They are consolidating crews to concentrate on the hardest-hit areas in Rogers, Arkansas
They are consolidating crews to concentrate on the hardest-hit areas in Rogers, Arkansas. The team is united in the commitment to help rebuild the communities they call home and support customers by restoring their power as swiftly and as safely as possible.
The restoration work in the area involves complex and labor-intensive repairs. SWEPCO’s peak outage following this weather event was 19,000 customers.
With multiple utilities offering service to customers across Benton County, the overall community impact was larger with initial, combined estimates reflecting more than 50,000 of the 70,000 Benton County residents affected.
Mobilized resources
Benton County, Arkansas, population 300,000, is served by multiple electric utility providers, including SWEPCO, Carroll Electric and the City of Bentonville. At peak, there was a combined approximate outage of 94,100.
SWEPCO had a peak of around 19,000, Carroll Electric reported 65,000 and the City of Bentonville had reported a peak of 10,100. Each mobilized resources and coordinated with community pioneers and first responders to tackle the massive restoration work.
SWEPCO restored power
As of 10 a.m. Sunday, SWEPCO had successfully restored power to most customers. Work remains to restore the remaining 1,660 customers.
- Extensive Damage - This storm caused major damage in Northwest Arkansas. SWEPCO and contract crews located more than 400 broken poles, more than 10 miles of down power lines, at least 100 damaged transformers and identified more than 750 unique repair locations.
- Customer Alerts - Customers who have elected to receive mobile alerts should have or will soon be sent specific restoration times for their locations. They can sign up to get these alerts or log into their online SWEPCO accounts. Please note that estimated restoration times may change based on weather and other factors.
- Customer Repairs May Be Required - Many customers are ready to have power restored, but some have damage to their homes that must be repaired before they are able to accept power.
- Thank You - They extend heartfelt thanks to all local officials, first responders, and the Arkansas National Guard for their collaboration and support, ensuring the crews can work as quickly and safely as possible. SWEPCO remains committed to restoring power to all affected customers and appreciates the continued support and cooperation from the community.
- Safety Reminder - To ensure the safety of both crews and the public, customers are urged to avoid areas where work is underway, not drive past flagged or coned zones, and refrain from approaching crews while they work.
- Restoration Debris - Please note that some storm restoration debris will be left behind temporarily until pick-up activities can be scheduled following the completion of the restoration efforts.
