Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – As summer storm season approaches, residents across Arkansas are urged to stay alert and prepare for the potential of severe weather, including heavy rain, damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes.
With conditions often changing quickly this time of year, safety officials are reminding communities to review their emergency plans, stay informed through reliable weather alerts, and take proactive steps to protect their homes and families.
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“As we head into the summer months, our focus remains on delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy to the communities we serve,” said Ventrell Thompson, VP of customer service. “Our teams work year-round to strengthen our system, train our crews and enhance our emergency response plans so we can restore power quickly and safely when severe weather impacts our communities.”
Entergy Arkansas continues to invest in a stronger, more resilient grid to reduce the impact of storm-related outages. This includes infrastructure upgrades, deployment of smart grid technology and an ongoing, robust vegetation management program. By trimming and removing trees and vegetation that could interfere with power lines, the company helps reduce one of the leading causes of outages during storms.
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“Vegetation management is one of the most effective ways we can improve reliability for our customers,” Thompson said. “Combined with our broader grid investments, these efforts help us better withstand the types of storms we see across Arkansas.”
Prepared for summer weather
Entergy Arkansas takes a proactive, year-round approach to storm readiness. Ahead of the summer season, the company has taken several steps to strengthen preparedness, including:
- Inspecting and replacing damaged or aging utility poles
- Inspecting transmission lines, substations and power plants
- Performing ongoing maintenance across the system
- Conducting targeted vegetation trimming to reduce tree-related outages
- Reviewing emergency response plans and pre-positioning crews and equipment
This spring, employees also participated in storm response drills, logistics exercises and training designed to simulate severe weather scenarios common in Arkansas. These efforts improve coordination and ensure teams are ready to respond quickly when storms develop.
Customers should prepare now
Customers are encouraged to take steps now to prepare their homes and families for severe weather:
- Draft an emergency plan and assemble a storm supply kit
- Ensure mobile devices are charged ahead of storms
- Sign up for outage alerts and download the Entergy mobile app
- Verify contact information at myEntergy.com
- Report outages quickly via the app, online or by texting OUT to 36778
“Summer storms in Arkansas can develop quickly and be unpredictable,” Thompson said. “We’re committed to preparing our system and our people, but preparation is a shared responsibility. We also encourage customers to make sure their contact information is up to date so they can receive timely alerts and updates. When customers take these simple steps in advance, we’re all better positioned to weather whatever comes our way.”
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