SWEPCO power restoration update

SWEPCO crews continue to make progress in the ongoing effort to rebuild SWEPCO’s energy delivery system and have restored service to more than half of all customers impacted by Friday’s severe weather.

Latest reports show SWEPCO has restored service to approximately 168,000 customers impacted by the severe weather event that moved through the region on Friday; an estimated 82,000 remain without power: approximately 32,000 customers in Texas; approximately 47,000 customers in Louisiana and approximately 3,100 customers in Arkansas.

We’re hearing reports that some customers are receiving text alerts of restored power, when their power is still out. If you get a text alert that your power is back on, but you’re still without power, report your outage at SWEPCO.com or through the SWEPCO mobile app.

If you’re not at home, we recommend asking a friend or neighbor to check on your power before returning to your residence.

We know this is a frustrating time, and we appreciate your continued patience.

As we continue to make progress to rebuild our energy delivery system, now is the time to determine if your home is ready to accept power.

After any storm passes and when it’s safe to do so, assess damage around your home. Always remember this life-saving rule: keep you and your loved ones away from standing water near wires and appliances and remember to stay away from downed power lines!

Depending on where you find damage, you may need to make several calls to be ready to get 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 need to have a licensed electrician repair this damage before power can be restored.

Homeowners can refer to the graphic (shown) as a handy reference and assess whether any damage to customer equipment is visible.

This could include the metal box that houses SWEPCO’s meter, the “weatherhead” pipe on top of the meter box, the service entrance cables running from the weatherhead through the meter box to the inside panel box, or other related facilities. Similar responsibilities apply to underground service.

If repairs are needed, a professional electrician must first make those repairs before the home can be ready to accept power.

We know customers are seeking information and we are doing everything we can to offer assurance that power will be restored safely and reliably. Teams will provide additional details including updates to restoration areas and times as crews continue working to restore power.

For your safety and for the safety of our crews, please refrain from approaching them while they are working.

Contact our customer service personnel with any questions about your service. You can report downed lines and other hazards to SWEPCO at 888-218-3919. Please report outages online at https://www.swepco.com/outages/report/

Downed power lines – Never touch a downed line, or go near it, no matter how harmless it looks. The line could be energized. Stay away and keep children and pets at least ten feet away from downed lines. Treat all downed power lines as if they are energized and dangerous. Call SWEPCO or 911 immediately.

Portable generator safety – If you use a portable or RV generator, do not plug the generator into your circuit box. Portable generators can “backfeed” electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions carefully and plug essential appliances directly into the generator.