SWEPCO Enhances Mobilized Response in Hard Hit Areas I Update #5

• Following Beryl’s official exit from the ArkLaTex region early Tuesday morning, SWEPCO crews have successfully restored power to more than 90 percent of customers impacted from a record-setting extreme weather event that produced 67 tornado warnings – the most issued by the National Weather Service in Shreveport for a single day.   

• At the peak of the storm, Beryl brought extreme weather that disrupted service to 48,000 SWEPCO customers across Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. As of 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, SWEPCO successfully and safely restored power to approximately 44,000 customers. 

• Work continues in difficult to access, often flooded and remote areas. Safety remains top of mind for our customers and crews as work continues in dangerous conditions.  

• To aid the restoration effort, SWEPCO mobilized extra crews and contractors and are using specialized track equipment to access damaged areas. Work is being performed on the ground, in the air and on boats to make our way to where the work needs to be done. 

• As part of the restoration effort, more than 940 utility professionals mobilized to complete the work. As jobs are completed in their assigned areas, they are being re-routed to assist the current teams in Haughton, LA areas and any other identified locations to ensure that the hardest-hit areas receive the necessary support to expedite power restoration. Preliminary assessments in Haughton show more than 169 utility poles require repairs and 90 poles were broken and require replacement. Work is ongoing. 

• Crews are making strides in the work and, where feasible, have updated or released additional estimated times of restoration. See new times below.  

Today the National Weather Service Shreveport released preliminary findings and confirmed the first 5 tornadoes that were unleashed by Beryl. Their assessments from the record-setting 67 tornado warnings continue. Two of the five confirmed were identified at EF2 with wind speeds around 125 mph.  

• Tornado 1: EF2, winds estimated at 125 mph, Converse to Stanley (SWEPCO’s southern territory) 

• Tornado 2: EF2, winds estimated at 127 mph, Pleasant Hill (SWEPCO’s southern territory) 

• Tornado 3: EF1, winds estimated at 100 mph, Elm Grove (Shreveport) 

• Tornado 4: EF1, winds estimated at 100 mph, Haughton - Benton (Shreveport) 

• Tornado 5: EF1, winds estimated at 95 mph, Plain Dealing (Shreveport) 

SWEPCO crews are working across the ArkLaTex to rebuild, repair and restore power.  
 
Within the Shreveport region, the peak outages totaled 22,827 and crews have restored power to 86 percent of residents in the Shreveport/Bossier areas, making safe and impactful progress.   

Work continues elsewhere in the ArkLaTex to rebuild from the storm that unleashed extreme weather that downed lines and snapped poles.  
 
The Haughton community, identified by the NWS as having experienced a confirmed tornado with winds over 100 mph, experienced significant damage to homes, structures and energy infrastructure. Preliminary assessments and work reports show more than 169 utility poles were broken and require replacement. Work is ongoing.   

Crews are working nonstop on work in difficult terrain that requires tree clearing and complex work to repair the energy delivery infrastructure. Estimated restoration time for most of the Haughton area is by 5 p.m., Friday, July 12.   

As of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, SWEPCO successfully and safely restored power to approximately 44,000 customers.  

Due to often treacherous terrain, crews are tackling challenging tasks in hard-to-reach areas. Safety remains a top priority as they operate in dangerous conditions.  

To aid in the recovery across the ArkLaTex, SWEPCO has deployed crews and contractors equipped with specialized track equipment. Resources on the ground, in the air, and on boats are being utilized to reach damaged areas and complete necessary repairs.  

As crews complete work in their assigned areas, they are being re-routed to assist the current teams in Haughton and any other identified locations to ensure that the hardest-hit areas receive the necessary support to expedite power restoration. SWEPCO aims to restore service to all customers as swiftly and safely as possible. 

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.  

Now is the time for customers to determine whether their home can receive power - SWEPCO cannot connect power to a home or business if there is damage to the service entrance, which is owned by the customer. Customers must have a licensed electrician repair damage before power can be restored. Click for a flyer in English & Spanish. Learn how to identify weatherhead damages by watching this video. ENGLISH | SPANISH