ARKANSAS, USA — The winter weather is beginning to hit Arkansans hard as thousands of residents are seeing power outages.
Electric companies across the state have prepared for the winter weather and have lined up hundreds of crews for the storm.
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7:30 p.m.
A second semi truck is found jackknifed on an interstate as a result of the wintry road conditions. The accident happened I-40 eastbound near Maumelle, with the cab of the truck going into the median of the interstate.
4:00 p.m.
Heavy traffic has built up on I-40 Eastbound near Lonoke due to a 'cobblestone' -- meaning the ice has built up and become so rough that you can only drive over it at minimal speeds.
ARDOT crews are working to clear the ice.
Another incident was reported on I-530 at the south terminal interchange. ARDOT reports an 18-wheeler 'jackknifed' on the roadway and the vehicle is leaking diesel fuel.
2:00 p.m.
A little more than 22,000 people across the state are without power. Most of the outages are in southeastern and eastern counties.
Two 18-wheelers are broken down in Lonoke County on I-40 just over two miles east of Lonoke, according to ARDOT.
On Highway 67, there is a report of a jack-knifed 18-wheeler on the northbound side of traffic of the Highway 440 Interchange.
12:30 p.m.
Watch the latest update from our weather team on what to expect over the next day due to the winter storm:
According to Oaklawn Racing and Gaming, winter weather storms have caused live racing to be canceled over the weekend.
The casino and resort are still open.
Power outages across the state remain at about 24,000 outages, primarily affecting southeast Arkansas counties.
10 a.m.
Arkansans without power as of 10 a.m. is less than 25,000.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson has declared a state of emergency due to the winter storms causing danger throughout the state.
Road conditions are still dangerous due to a mix of sleet and freezing rain continuing to fall across central Arkansas.
According to ARDOT, a jack-knifed trailer is currently blocking all lanes of I-40 Eastbound at mile marker 189 in Prairie County.
"We recommend taking exit 183 at Carlisle to avoid the backup," ARDOT said.
9 a.m.
A total of 26,528 are currently without power in the state. Most of the outages are in southern and eastern counties.
Be careful traveling on the interstate as road conditions can vary.
We have crews out checking road conditions and will provide any updates.
8 a.m.
As of 8 a.m. 24,300 Arkansans are without power.
A spokesperson with Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas said approximately 10,000 electric cooperative members are without service in Arkansas.
However, Craighead Electric of has de-energized a substation in Poinsett County due to galloping lines and will restore service to approximately 3,000 members once conditions allow.
At this time, C&L Electric of Star City, First Electric’s Stuttgart district, South Central Arkansas Electric of Arkadelphia and Woodruff Electric of Forrest City appear to have the majority of the other outages.
7:15 a.m.
Arkansans saw a high jump in power outages around 7:15 a.m. as it increased by nearly 10,000 outages. This has left over 25,600 Arkansans without power. Poinsett and Phillips County are seeing the highest amount of outages with 10,000 plus.
6:45 a.m.
As of 6:45 a.m. the power outages in Arkansas have decreased to 15,257.
6 a.m.
Over 22,000 Arkansans have lost power as the winter storm continues to move further in Arkansas.
A total of 22,338 Arkansans are without power as of 6 a.m. The majority of outages are currently in the southern parts of the state.
You can find more information about the outages here.
If your power goes out, you can report the outage to your electricity provider. Most importantly it's critical that you, your family members, and your pets stay away from any downed power lines.
We will continue to update this article with the latest outage information as it becomes available.
