A convoy of Gulf Power Company crews are northbound on their way to Arkansas to assist Entergy Arkansas with restoration efforts following a snowstorm that dropped 6-12 inches of snow and snapped trees and power lines on Christmas Day.

A total of 28 line crew personnel and 15 support personnel are headed to the Little Rock area. As of Thursday morning, Arkansas Entergy reported 140,000 customers still without power from a high of 194,000 outages.

“Our crews are experienced in storm restoration and we're always ready to help out other utilities in times of need,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power Corporate Communications manager. “And this experience and keeping skills sharp is a great value for our customers — it means faster restoration right here at home.”

This is the fifth storm restoration trip that Gulf Power crews have made in the last six months. A restoration crew spent 17 days restoring power in Philadelphia and New Jersey during November after Hurricane Sandy struck.

“Our crews will arrive in Arkansas tonight and begin work to restore power,” Rogers said. “They will be focused on getting customers’ power back on as quickly and safely as possible.” 

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 430,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”