Thousands of Arkansas residents were still without electricity Monday after storms caused widespread outages across the state, though utility crews made steady progress restoring power throughout the day.
At the peak of the outages, around 50,000 customers were without power statewide. That number had dropped significantly by Monday evening as repair efforts continued.
Crews from multiple electric providers began responding Sunday night and worked throughout Monday to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.
Outages were still being reported in Montgomery, Yell, Hot Springs and Saline counties, with Saline County among the hardest hit. More than 1,000 customers remained without power Monday evening, including residents at the Fairways Apartments in Bryant, where electricity went out around 5:15 on Sunday.
Residents said the lack of power has made it difficult to stay warm as temperatures dropped, with many relying on their vehicles to warm up and charge devices.
The outages have been especially challenging for those in all-electric homes, where the loss of power also means no heat, hot water or ability to cook. Some residents noted that elderly neighbors and those with mobility issues have faced even greater difficulties during the outage.
Utility crews continued working to assess damage and repair lines, but shifting restoration estimates added to frustration for some residents.
Officials said power restoration in certain areas depends on additional repairs to transmission systems, and crews will continue working until service is fully restored.
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