The power grid is prepared for winter weather, according to Entergy Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas – Many have questioned if the electricity grid can withstand the weather, especially with freezing temperatures and several inches of snow potentially on its way to Arkansas later this week.

The good news is that Entergy stated that they had been planning for this exact scenario for months.

“Unfortunately, for our Arkansas teams, we are very used to winter events, tornadic events, [and] thunderstorms,” stated Justin Heart, Director of Reliability at Entergy. “We perform drills on a very frequent basis.”

When it comes to severe weather, preparation is key. Entergy has been modernizing the system throughout the year by upgrading poles and powerlines.

Now, with our first possible winter storm of the year, those changes will be tested.

“Just to make sure that the system is more resilient and that it’s able to carry some of this load and withstand some of this ice loading and some of the damages we could potentially sustain in a winter event like this,” Hart said.

However, not all of the grid’s components have been updated. Areas with more people and more problematic powerlines were given priority by Entergy.

Entergy is now preparing for the possible winter storm by deploying linemen to the areas most likely to be affected.

“We are primarily focusing on that I-30 corridor at the moment. We will be making adjustments if the prediction shifts a bit further to the east or south,” Hart stated.

Here’s what you should know if snow or ice does fall in your neighborhood: Entergy advises turning off large appliances and electric heaters in the event of a power outage until the electricity is restored.

Call 911 and 1-800-ENTERGY if you spot any downed powerlines that might be sparking or even catching fire so that they can be fixed right away.