Emergency Preparedness

During certain times of year, Arkansas weather can be particularly cruel. Every summer, we’re subjected to triple digit temperatures, every winter, we get a little snow and a lot of ice, and we have severe thunderstorms all year long. What this means for homes and businesses is the regular threat of unexpected power outages. The utility companies do everything that they can to respond quickly to interruptions in service, but during emergencies, they can get short-handed, causing power outages that can often last for several days.

With the exception of the times when the power goes out, and the times when we pay our electric bill, we tend to take it for granted that we can always flick a light switch and turn our lights on and off. Arkansas is no stranger to seasonal weather extremes, and frequent outages are a reality that we have to deal with a few times a year. But for some people, a power outage is a lot more than an inconvenience: imagine what would happen if a hospital lost its ability to keep life-saving medical equipment turned on, or if a police station lost its power during the middle of a major emergency!