Damage in Shreveport, La.
SWEPCO and contract crews continue to assess damage and work safely to restore power to 40,500 customers in Northwest Louisiana and East Texas after severe storms pushed through the area overnight. Additional storms are forecast for the Ark-La-Tex region, which could impact restoration efforts.
Early damage assessments report downed power lines, fallen trees and lightning damage throughout the area. The hardest-hit areas are Shreveport, Bossier City and Haughton in Louisiana, and Longview, Marshall, and Gladewater in East Texas.
Crews have been working overnight to assess and restore outages, including more than 700 SWEPCO and contract linemen and forestry workers. Additional crews from Public Service Company of Oklahoma, SWEPCO’s sister utility, are on their way to help restore power quickly and safely.
As of 11 a.m. today, about 34,500 customers in Northwest Louisiana and 6,000 customers in East Texas remain without power. At the peak, about 65,000 customers were without power.
We estimate power will be restored to 95% of customers at these times:
- Natchitoches: 5 p.m. today, April 13
- East Texas: 10 p.m. today, April 13
- Mansfield/Logansport: 6 p.m. Thursday, April 14
We’ll share additional power restoration estimates as they are available.
How to report, track outages:
For updates and photos, follow SWEPCO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Public safety reminders:
Downed power lines - Never touch a downed line, or go near it, no matter how harmless it looks. The line could be energized. Don’t touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences or puddles of water. Stay away, and keep others away, especially children and pets. Call SWEPCO or 911 immediately.
Portable generator safety – If you use a portable or RV generator, do not plug the generator into your circuit box. Portable generators can "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.
About Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO)
SWEPCO, an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, serves more than 543,000 customers in Northwest and Central Louisiana, Northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle, and Western Arkansas. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com.