SWEPCO, SWREA say they’re prepared for any outages from winter storm

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Some people may be waking up in the dark, as a winter storm continues to sweep through the ArkLaTex.

At this time, SWEPCO is reporting more than 1,000 outages. A majority of those numbers are coming from the Mount Pleasant, Texas, area. Crews are working as quickly as possible to restore that power.

Officials say it doesn’t take much weight for a pole to snap, while a power line can hold up to 600 pounds before coming down. If you see a downed pole or line, keep your distance and call your electric company and let them know.

“We know you depend on us for power and we take that responsibility very seriously. Rest assured, we are devoting the resources necessary to respond to the level of the storm,” said Amanda Keeney, director of corporate communications for SWEPCO.

If your power does go out, it’s important to be prepared. You should always have water and non-perishable food on standby, batteries for flashlights and a safety plan in case of an emergency. Having a backup generator is also helpful if there is someone in your home with medical needs.

“We keep things in stock all the time to be prepared for any kind of natural disasters or storm. We keep plenty of poles, wires and transformers, which are the three key things we have in our grid. We keep plenty of those on hand in case anything major rolls through,” said Jeff Newton, vice president of communications with SWREA.

No rolling blackouts are expected at this time. SWEPCO says they are ready and fueled up to handle any events during the storm.

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