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By Jillian Duke Saline County fared better than other portions of the state in Tuesday night’s tornadoes and thunderstorms, but residents in some areas experienced loss of electrical power.
James Thompson, spokesman for Entergy Arkansas, said about 4,700 customers are without power in the Little Rock network, which includes some parts of Saline County, such as Bryant and the Sardis community.
There isn’t a way to determine exactly how many Sardis area customers experienced power outages, Thompson said this morning.
“There were so many severe thunderstorms in this area that it knocked out a lot of power,” he said. “At the peak of the storm, we had 42,000 customers without power statewide. Now, we have about 22,000 out statewide.
“We’re getting out there today and getting power restored,” he said, noting that it’s easier to spot problem areas in the daylight.
Commercial areas are restored first, and then residential areas are tackled, Thompson said. And the most populated residential areas are worked on first, he said. For instance, an area with 500 residential customers will be dealt with before a rural area with three homes.
“It takes the same amount of time to restore [power],” no matter the number of homes in a given area, he said.
Pointing out that there are many damaged homes, Thompson said, “If a home is damaged, we can’t get power back to you.” He said Entergy’s responsibility ends at the meter.
Thompson added that 351 workers from Texas and Louisiana are helping restore power to Arkansans. “We have 100 other contractors” assisting Entergy Arkansas crews, he said. However, since other surrounding states also sustained damage, he said “it’s taking more time to get people in.”
Also, Entergy facilities received structural damage, including transmissions put out of commission, he said.
“We certainly know in damaged areas where the power outages are, but if people wake up and see their power is out, they can call 1-800-9OUTAGE,” he said.
First Electric also serves some areas of the Sardis community, but an employee at the local office said no outages have been reported for Sardis customers.
In Bauxite and Shannon Hills, which neighbor the Sardis area, city officials reported no damage.
Shannon Hills Mayor Larance Davis said power there was lost for slightly more than an hour. “A week ago, we had winds at 60 mph, but last night, we had straight-line winds and torrential rains that hit, but they blew right through,” he said.
Sardis Road, between Shannon Hills and southwest Little Rock, was closed, apparently from limbs and trees blocking the road, Davis said
There was “a flicker or two” in Bauxite, but no prolonged power outages in the town, said Brenda Hendrix, city recorder/treasurer.
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