SWEPCO crews have not stopped working to restore power while managing through the relentless rain and flooding conditions. Shown is a crew in the Longview, Texas area.
SHREVEPORT, La. (April 10, 2024) – As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 10 approximately 25,000 SWEPCO customers are without power following a second round of storms that moved through the Ark-La-Tex Tuesday afternoon. While SWEPCO employees and contractors are working quickly and safely to restore service, the additional lines of storms brought a second day of damaging winds and intense lightning that slowed progress and impacted transmission and distribution infrastructure. As always, SWEPCO crews will not stop until the last customer who can receive power is restored.
Flooding creates a unique and dangerous restoration environment. Flooding can make it more difficult to safely make repairs, which may result in longer than usual power restoration times.
System Impacts
Damage assessors report widespread damage with downed power lines, significant flooded areas and fallen trees and limbs throughout the area. In East Texas and Southwest Arkansas, crews are utilizing specialized track equipment to navigate areas difficult to access from saturated grounds or heavy brush. In addition, repairs in some flooded parts of East Texas will require crews to utilize a boat.
Crew Support
Additional crews from SWEPCO’s Fayetteville district and SWEPCO’s sister operating companies, AEP Texas and Public Service of Oklahoma, are assisting with our efforts to restore service to our communities as safely and quickly as possible.
By The Numbers
At the peak of the storm’s impact, approximately 35,000 customers were without power.
SWEPCO has provided estimated restoration times for areas impacted by the storm. However, service could be restored sooner. Customers who signed up for email or text alerts could receive direct updates on the estimated restoration time at their home or business as crews continue working to restore power. To sign up to receive your personalized restoration update, visit swepco.com/alerts.
We estimate power will be restored to 95 percent of customers by these times:
Arkansas
11:59 p.m. Wednesday
- Texarkana area, including Nashville.
Texas
11:59 p.m. Wednesday
- Texarkana area, including Mt. Pleasant and Atlanta areas.
11:59 p.m. Thursday
- Henderson area
- Marshall area
- Longview area
Louisiana
10 pm. Wednesday
- Bossier City area
- Vivian area
- Plain Dealing area
10 pm. Thursday
Noon Saturday
- Mansfield area
- Natchitoches area
- Hornbeck area
When Customer Repairs Are Needed
- If there is damage to the service entrance or weatherhead on your home or business, you must have a qualified electrician repair this damage before power can be restored.
- Flooding can damage electrical systems and inspections by a licensed electrician may be required before a home can receive power.
- If a customer’s electric meter boxes, conduits or wires were under water, or are bent or broken, or if water rose above electrical outlets, customers should contact a licensed electrician. Customers should never touch damaged equipment.
- The service entrance includes the metal box housing SWEPCO's meter, the weatherhead pipe on top of the meter box, the service entrance cables running from the weatherhead through the meter box to the inside panel box, and other related facilities. Similar responsibilities apply to underground service.
- After repairs are made, contact SWEPCO at 1-888-216-3523 to have power restored.
Safety Reminders:
- For your safety and for the safety of our crews, please refrain from approaching them while they are working.
- Contact our customer service personnel with any questions about your service. You can report downed lines and other hazards to SWEPCO at 888-218-3919 or online at https://www.swepco.com/outages/report/
- Downed power lines - Never touch a downed line, or go near it, no matter how harmless it looks. The line could be energized. Stay away and keep children and pets at least ten feet away from downed lines. Treat all downed power lines as if they are energized and dangerous. 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.
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