SWEPCO, Our Communities Weather Winter Storm Fern Together

January 24, 2026 - Crews Responding Across our Three-State Territory

What You Need to Know

  • Winter Storm Fern continues to impact all of SWEPCO’s service territory with historic ice accumulation. Outages have reached a peak of more than 25,000 customers, and conditions may shift again as the storm’s second wave moves through overnight.
  • SWEPCO crews are making progress in a challenging environment, with a full mobilization of up to 5,600 utility professionals underway. Crews are restoring service where conditions allow and preparing for additional damage as ice persists.
  • Customers are urged to report outages and stay away from downed lines. Heavy ice continues to bring down trees and limbs, increasing hazards. Always treat downed lines as energized and dangerous, report them immediately, and keep a safe distance.

Current Situation

Winter Storm Fern continues to bring historic, system‑wide ice impacts across our service territory. As of 6:00 p.m., approximately 19,046 customers are without power, with this event peaking at 25,307 customers out earlier this afternoon.

Crews have already restored service to more than 3,300 customers, and actual restoration progress is higher when including ongoing step restoration.

Despite the treacherous roadways and dangerous temperatures, SWEPCO crews have been able to fully or partially restore ongoing system impacts and will continue.

Due to the significant icing event, trees and limbs, sometimes entire trees, have fallen from outside our rights-of-way into lines and equipment.

Even in this deep freeze from Winter Storm Fern, SWEPCO’s power plants are helping keep electricity flowing. While ice is creating challenges on the distribution system and causing some outages, our crews are working safely and steadily to restore service as conditions allow.

The storm system has moved methodically across SWEPCO throughout the day, bringing freezing rain to much of the Ark-La-Tex and snow in Fayetteville in our Northwest Arkansas region. Radar shows SWEPCO in a brief lull between the first and second waves, giving crews another critical window to make meaningful restoration gains.

A key priority is strong overnight monitoring and early-morning assessments across our service territory, should the additional wave bring new damage.

Throughout the challenging conditions, our mission remains the same: restore every single customer, no matter what Winter Storm Fern brings our way. We are working shoulder to shoulder with our communities, navigating this historic weather event together, and will continue making progress as conditions allow.

Mutual Assistance In Action

Support from more than 14 states have shown up for our communities. We’ve mobilized approximately 5,600 utility professionals to aid our response to customers.

What You Can Do

Stay Off the Roads: Please avoid unnecessary travel. Clear roads help first responders and our crews access work sites safely and restore power faster.

Stay Safe: Avoid downed power lines and treat all wires as energized and potentially dangerous. Report downed lines and other safety hazards at SWEPCO.com or by calling 888-218-3919.

Stay Informed: For the latest outage updates and safety tips, visit SWEPCO.com or use the SWEPCO mobile app.

Report Outages: Download the SWEPCO app to quickly and easily report outages or report outages at SWEPCO.com.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work tirelessly to restore power. Our crews and those who have traveled hundreds of miles to help are committed to bringing the lights back on for every customer as quickly and safely as possible.

Customer Preparedness

SWEPCO is ready and we want our customers to be ready, too. Customers are urged to prepare now for winter weather and possible power outages:

Treat all downed power lines as energized and dangerous. Stay at least 10 feet away and keep children and pets indoors.

If using a generator, follow all manufacturer instructions. Never use generators, grills, or camp stoves indoors.

Customers with medical equipment who rely on electricity should have a backup plan in place in case of prolonged outages.

Keep extra blankets, warm clothing, and flashlights readily available.

Charge phones and essential devices ahead of the storm.

Stay informed by following SWEPCO on social media and visiting SWEPCO.com for alerts and updates.

Get Restoration Updates

Customers should log in to their SWEPCO account to make sure we have an up-to-date cell number and email. Accurate contact information helps us reach you quickly if conditions change. We also encourage customers to sign up for outage alerts and SWEPCO email updates for real-time restoration information. When crews arrive on site, they enter a more precise restoration time, and enrolled customers receive those updates automatically.

Update your information or subscribe to alerts at SWEPCO.com/Alerts. You can also check outage status anytime at SWEPCO.com/OutageMap.

Next Update

We will continue to keep you informed as more information becomes available. Updates will be provided at SWEPCO.com as well as other communication channels.

January 23, 2026 - SWEPCO is Prepared for Arctic Cold Front, Winter Storm Fern

Crews are Ready to Respond Across Our Three-State Territory

What You Need to Know: 

  • The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning throughout SWEPCO’s service territory.
  • SWEPCO teams are positioned and ready to respond with approximately 2,300 additional line and forestry personnel.
  • Customers are encouraged to be prepared in the event of a power outage.

Current Situation: The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Warning across SWEPCO’s service territory, and our meteorologists are closely monitoring a system expected to bring dangerously low temperatures, strong winds, and a wintry mix to parts of our region.

"At SWEPCO, our priority is putting customers first. Our line, forestry, and support crews are on standby and fully prepared to respond.

"We’ve mobilized approximately 5,600 utility professionals to aid our response to customers. Through our regional Mutual Assistance partnerships, approximately 2,300 additional line and forestry personnel from peer utilities are already on site to support our efforts.

"We’re committed to matching the size and scale of this historic storm with the resources required to keep our customers safe and restore power as quickly as possible.

"We’ve established base camps in Longview, Texas Texarkana, Arkansas and Shreveport, Louisiana to support our crews and help speed restoration for customers. At the same time, our power plants have implemented their cold‑weather plans, and line crews are fully prepared with fueled and stocked vehicles, ready equipment, and staged materials. Crews may also be strategically positioned in advance to ensure quick access even if conditions worsen. In addition, our teams are coordinating closely with local, state and federal officials as part of the shared community response effort.

This will be a significant winter event, but SWEPCO is prepared, and we are confident we’ll weather it together safely."

Customer Preparedness - SWEPCO is ready and we want our customers to be ready, too. Customers are urged to prepare now for winter weather and possible power outages:

  • Treat all downed power lines as energized and dangerous. Stay at least 10 feet away and keep children and pets indoors.
  • If using a generator, follow all manufacturer instructions. Never use generators, grills, or camp stoves indoors.
  • Customers with medical equipment who rely on electricity should have a backup plan in place in case of prolonged outages.
  • Keep extra blankets, warm clothing, and flashlights readily available.
  • Charge phones and essential devices ahead of the storm.
  • Stay informed by following SWEPCO on social media and visiting SWEPCO.com for alerts and updates.

Get Restoration Updates: Now is the time for customers to log in to their SWEPCO account and make sure we have a current cell phone number and email address on file. This ensures we can reach you quickly if changing conditions affect your service.

We also encourage customers to subscribe to outage alerts and opt in to SWEPCO email updates so you receive real‑time restoration information. When crews arrive at a work site, they enter a more precise restoration time into our system, and those updates are automatically sent to customers who are enrolled.

To update your information or sign up for alerts, visit SWEPCO.com/Alerts. You can also track the latest outage status anytime at SWEPCO.com/OutageMap.

Post-Storm Safety Tips

  • Stay as far away as possible from downed wires and anything they may be touching. Call 911 to report any hazards or call SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.
  • Carefully investigate before cleaning up any debris. Tree limbs, leaves and other objects moved by the wind could hide downed wires.
  • Do not attempt to remove tree limbs or debris within 10 feet of a power line.
  • If using a generator, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions: 
Should I call SWEPCO to report my power outage? Immediately after a major storm, report only safety hazards such as downed power lines or equipment that is sparking. Often, we’re already aware of damage to our systems such as transmission lines and distribution circuits. Your calls help us focus resources on hazards that are not automatically picked up by our monitoring systems.

You can also report an outage using our online form.

Want to be the first to know about outages? Subscribe to alerts.

What should customers do if they see downed lines? Don't touch it or anything near it. Even telephone or cable lines can become energized. Keep yourself and others as far away as possible and call 911 or SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.

How does SWEPCO handle tree damage? Our tree crews are among the first responders as they clear trees from lines and equipment, so line crews can restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

We do not remove cut trees or limbs during emergency power restoration. In these instances, property owners are responsible for removing tree debris.

Don't attempt to remove tree limbs or debris yourself if it is within 10 feet of a power line. Also, if you notice downed power lines or sparking equipment, stay far away and call 911 and SWEPCO immediately at (888) 218-3919.

Staying Connected - To receive the latest alerts and information from SWEPCO, customers should:

Next Update: We will continue to keep you informed as more information becomes available. Updates will be provided at SWEPCO.com as well as other communication channels.