SWEPCO Storm Update #1

12 p.m. 3/30/22

Northwest Arkansas Storm

Severe storms moved through Northwest Arkansas early Wednesday, downing more than 25 utility poles and their power lines, and breaking crossarms.

Stay away and keep children and pets away from all downed power lines. They should be considered energized and dangerous. And don't touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences or puddles of water, since they can conduct electricity. Call SWEPCO to report any downed lines or equipment.

As of 12 p.m. Wednesday, approximately 7,600 customers were without power in Northwest Arkansas, with a majority of those in the cities of Johnson, Springdale and Fayetteville. At peak, approximately 9,000 were without power between 5 and 6 a.m. Wednesday.

SWEPCO and contractor crews continue to assess damage and are working to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. Estimated times of restoration will be shared as soon as they are available.

SAFETY:

DOWNED POWER LINES: Never touch a downed utility wire, no matter how harmless it looks. It can be difficult to distinguish between a power line and a cable or telephone line.

PORTABLE GENERATORS: If you use a portable or RV generator, do not plug the generator into your circuit box. Portable generators "backfeed" electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public. Follow the manufacturers' instructions carefully, and plug essential appliances directly into the generator.

OUTAGE INFO:

SWEPCO Mobile App – Report outages, check outage status, and more. Download at App Store or Google Play.

SWEPCO Alerts – Get an email or text message with the latest info for your home or business. See SWEPCO.com/Alerts.

SWEPCO.com – outage map, report outages, safety information.