Outages in power seen after storm hits

HOT SPRINGS — About 1,800 Entergy Arkansas Inc. customers were without service after a severe thunderstorm moved through Garland County, with several reports of damage and at least one injury in the Lake Hamilton area Wednesday afternoon.

Garland County Sheriff Mike McCormick said most of the damage in the county was concentrated in the Marion Anderson Road area, noting, “We are doing welfare checks on residences with damage.”

Undersheriff Jason Lawrence was observed at the scene directing deputies to go door-by-door in the Bon Air Point area to check on residents’ welfare.

McCormick initially said he wasn’t aware of any major injuries as of shortly after 5:30 p.m., but deputies were still canvassing the area. A short time later, he reported that one individual was being transported after a tree fell on his house in the Bon Air Point area.

In addition to checking each house in the damaged areas off Marion Anderson Road, deputies were also stopping cars of residents arriving home to get a list of names of the occupants.

“It allows us to check the house off as OK,” McCormick said. “Also, to establish a degree of accountability within the area.”

Much of the damage was concentrated in the 1300 to 1800 blocks of Marion Anderson Road, in the area of James Garland Road, Bon Air Point, Windy Point, Earl’s Point and along Arkansas 7 south in the Lake Hamilton area.

Hot Springs police officer 1st Class Omar Cervantes said most of the damage in the city was to the south, including areas in Lakeshore, Temperance Hill and Pretti Point. A transformer blew on Pretti Point and sparked a fire.

Cervantes said he didn’t know of any major injuries, just mainly trees and power lines down.

Entergy was listing a restoration time of noon today for areas affected by the severe weather. Many of the outages started just before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

“Entergy personnel are working to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. The estimated time of restoration could change as all damage assessments are completed or if other storm activity results in additional outages,” Entergy’s outage website says.