Winter Storm Cora delivered an icy blow to the Texarkana area, which brought down power lines in many locations.
Before dawn SWEPCO employees continued its winter storm response and began the meticulous process to survey each damage location and identify the overall impacts from Winter Storm Cora.
The storm blanketed snow across the Texas Panhandle and Northwest Arkansas Thursday and covered much of the ArkLaTex in an overnight wintry mix. For residents of the Texarkana, Texas and Arkansas areas, the storm delivered an icy blow. The icy impact wreaked havoc on the power distribution systems as trees gave way to icy weights causing limbs to snap lines.
While there were minimal impacts to some parts of SWEPCO’s service territory, the Texarkana region sustained most of the damage after 9 p.m. Thursday.
Current reports show approximately 25,000 customers are without power, already down from the 8 am. peak of 36,637 customers.
Estimated Time of Restoration (ETRs)
As part of SWEPCO’s storm restoration assessment process, the company has shared estimated restoration times for areas impacted by the storm.
Based on the number of outages and crews available, we developed a Global Estimated Time of Restoration or ETR, which is an estimate of how long it will take to restore 95% of all customers affected.
The more damage there is to the system, the further out in time the global ETR will be. Please note these restoration times could change based on the complexity of repairs.
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.
5 p.m. today, Jan. 10
- Shreveport area, including Plain Dealing, Bossier City, Haughton and Vivian
- Longview area, including Marshall and Mineola
- Natchitoches area, including Mansfield, Hornbeck and Logansport
11:59 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11
11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12
- Texarkana area, including Arkansas communities of Ashdown, Texarkana, De Queen and Nashville and Texarkana, Texas.
The icing event, as predicted, delivered an icy blow, and SWEPCO is committed to get the power back. No more than a ½ inch of ice increases the weight of a span of powerlines between poles by up to 500 lbs which is roughly equal to the weight of a grizzly bear on the lines.
Patrols in the affected areas are ongoing, and field reports are confirming substantial weather-related impacts, including ice accumulation and downed trees and power lines.
Learn more about our outage assessment and restoration processes.
SAFETY REMINDERS
Remember the following safety guidelines as the storm moves closer to our area in the coming days:
- All downed power lines should be considered energized and dangerous. Do not touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences, or puddles of water. Keep children and pets inside during and after the storm. Stay at least ten feet away from any downed power line.
- If you plan to use a portable generator, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Customers on life support systems or other medical equipment that relies on electricity should have a solid backup plan for areas where prolonged outages may occur.
SWEPCO will issue updates and customers should sign up for outage alerts to receive helpful information. For more storm safety tips, and suggestions about what to do before, during, and after a storm, please visit SWEPCO.com/Safety.
Additionally, for customers concerned about winter heating costs, SWEPCO has tools and resources available at SWEPCO.com/billhelp and the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program can offer income-qualified residents with aid. Winter heating applications are being accepted in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Use the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) Service to connect to your local LIHEAP office and find other available resources.
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