LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Entergy maps showed more than 6,000 customers without power Wednesday morning ahead of severe weather storms set for this afternoon around the state, and a company spokesperson said they're expecting a lot more throughout the day.
David Lewis said the most hit areas are in Philips and Pulaski County, but that will also change throughout the day.
"With the severe weather we're looking at today the chances are that number will go higher," said Lewis. "It's impossible to say how many outages we'll have by the time this storm is over, but it's a good guess that it'll be well over the 6,000 we're looking at now."
He said Entergy stays in a constant state of preparedness.
He also said the electrical system is a large complicated machine that takes a lot of attention and responds to issues when they come up, which is why their whole team is on standby.
The most damage would likely come from winds up to 80 miles per hour which would push trees over power lines and breaking poles.
Lightning and tornadoes are also a threat to the system.
"We've been through a whole lot of storms before, so we have a process. We have a plan, " he said. "We know what to do, and we want our customers to understand that responding to high levels of damage takes time. We ask for their patience while we work through it."
Tonya Sexton with First Electric Cooperative said her crews are prepared to go out as well.
"Step one is to really go out and evaluate the damage and then come back and put the plan together," said Sexton. "Gather the materials which are already staged and ready and then begin work. Our crews are ready to go."
Sexton said they're waiting and watching even for those out of state.
"We have over 900 electric cooperatives spread across the United States with 17 here in Arkansas. If anyone needs our assistance, we'll send assistance out as long as we don't need the crews here to restore power to our members," said Sexton.
Some word of advice for customers according to Lewis is not leaving your refrigerator open if your power is out. Food would remain cold inside a lot longer if you don't let the air out."
"While you have power, charge up everything so you can stay in touch with the world and us. You can download our Entergy app to be up to date with all outages and responses to them," said Lewis.
He said if you see a power line on the grounds, stay away. You can't tell from just looking at a line if it's energized or not. Always assume that it is and call your local energy company to handle it.