Severe weather moved through the region early Tuesday.
What You Need to Know
- Severe weather moved through portions of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas early Tuesday, bringing damaging winds and hail across our service territory.
- At the peak of the storm, we reported approximately 29,000 outages across our three-state region, with the majority of those in Texas, particularly in the Longview and Marshall areas.
- SWEPCO crews are responding. Assessments are underway to begin restoring power as quickly and as safely as possible.
- Safety remains a significant concern. Please treat any downed lines as dangerous. Call 911 to report any hazards or call SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.
CURRENT SITUATION
Severe weather moved through portions of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas early Tuesday, bringing
damaging winds across our service territory. At the peak of the storm, we reported approximately 29,000 outages across our three-state region, with the majority of those in Texas, particularly in the Longview and Marshall areas, as well as in Louisiana, where the hardest-hit locations included Shreveport and Hornbeck.
ASSESSING THE DAMAGE
Emergency assessment and response is well underway by SWEPCO crews across the service area after powerful storms brought damaging winds and hail to portions of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
As of 12:35 p.m. Tuesday, about 22,100 customers across region or area are without power. At the peak, about 29,000 customers were without power.
Damage assessors have reported downed power lines and fallen trees throughout the area. Crews are working as safely and quickly as possible to restore service to our communities. We will know more about estimated restoration times once damage assessment is complete.
The most extensive damage was reported in Texas, particularly in the Marshall and Longview areas, as well as in Louisiana, where the hardest-hit locations included Shreveport and Hornbeck.
As we get more specific information, updates will be forthcoming.
GET RESTORATION UPDATES
By enrolling in our alerts at SWEPCO.com/Alerts, customers get updated restoration information. When our crews arrive on individual work sites, a more precise restoration time for the affected group of customers will be updated in our system and communicated through alerts if the customers have signed up to receive our notifications by phone or email. Updated information can also be found at SWEPCO.com/OutageMap.
POST-STORM SAFETY TIPS
- Stay as far away as possible from downed wires and anything they may be touching. Call 911 to report any hazards or call SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.
- Carefully investigate before cleaning up any debris. Tree limbs, leaves and other objects moved by the wind could hide downed wires.
- Do not attempt to remove tree limbs or debris within 10 feet of a power line.
- If using a generator, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Should I call SWEPCO to report my power outage?
Immediately after a major storm, report only safety hazards such as downed power lines or equipment that is sparking. Often, we’re already aware of damage to our systems such as transmission lines and distribution circuits. Your calls help us focus resources on hazards that are not automatically picked up by our monitoring systems.
You can also report an outage using our online form.
Want to be the first to know about outages? Subscribe to alerts.
What should customers do if they see downed lines?
Don't touch it or anything near it. Even telephone or cable lines can become energized. Keep yourself and others as far away as possible and call 911 or SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.
How does SWEPCO handle tree damage?
Our tree crews are among the first responders as they work to safely clear trees from our lines and equipment and move to the next location as quickly as possible to allow our line crews to restore power.
We do not remove cut trees or limbs during emergency power restoration. In these instances, property owners are responsible for removing tree debris.
Don't attempt to remove tree limbs or debris yourself if it is within 10 feet of a power line. Also, if you notice downed lines or sparking equipment, stay far away and call 911 and SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.
STAYING CONNECTED
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NEXT UPDATE
We will continue to keep you informed as more information becomes available. Updates will be provided at SWEPCO.com as well as other communication channels.