Sunita Somvanshi
With winds whipping and rain pounding across Mississippi Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, thousands of families woke up in the dark. But Entergy Mississippi crews have been making swift progress, restoring power to nearly 8 out of 10 affected customers by Wednesday evening.
As of 6 p.m. on May 7, approximately 79% of the 10,948 customers who lost power have had their electricity restored. Over 600 workers including linemen, damage assessors, vegetation crews, and support staff are working around the clock to bring the lights back on.
For most customers who can safely receive power, Entergy expects service to return by 11:59 p.m. tonight. However, some outages in harder-hit areas will likely extend into tomorrow. Customers can check estimated restoration times on Entergy’s outage map.
Powering Through Tough Weather
This restoration effort follows a pattern of weather resilience that Entergy has been building. The utility’s recent efforts have focused on strengthening its infrastructure while expanding its renewable energy portfolio.
“Fundamentally, we believe all our stakeholders have a bright future ahead, and Entergy is championing a better future through fostering growth within our service area and investment in cleaner, more reliable and more resilient energy,” said Drew Marsh, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, during Entergy’s annual meeting on May 2.
The company brought more than 700 megawatts of solar resources online in 2024, responding to growing customer demand for renewable energy. This comes as Entergy continues to see strong industrial customer growth, including new agreements with data center customers in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Hurricane Season Looms as Crews Restore Power
This week’s storms hit during Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 1–7), serving as a timely reminder of the severe weather challenges facing the Gulf South. Scientists predict the 2025 hurricane season could bring 17 named storms, including 9 hurricanes – 4 of which may reach major hurricane status (Category 3 or higher).
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The current restoration work demonstrates the importance of Entergy’s year-round preparation. “Because our customers live in areas prone to some of the most severe weather in the country, we prepare for the worst of what Mother Nature might bring. Day after day and year after year, we stand storm ready,” notes Entergy’s press release.
Community Impact Beyond Power Restoration
Beyond keeping the lights on, Entergy reports its community initiatives created over $153 million in economic impact during 2024. Employees contributed more than 122,000 volunteer hours valued at more than $4 million across their service area.
The company also partnered with the New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee to create the Impact 59 Powered by Entergy program, which awarded more than $3.5 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations.
Staying Connected During Outages
Entergy emphasizes the importance of customer preparation and communication during storms. Customers can:
- Sign up for outage notifications
- Download the free Entergy mobile app
- Check the View Outages map for details on power disruptions
- Follow Entergy on social media for major outage updates
The company also monitors for wildfire risks across its service territory, particularly as summer approaches. Entergy watches for drought conditions, red flag warnings, elevation, humidity, wind speeds, rainfall levels, and weather forecasts to prevent equipment from sparking fires.
As May is both Hurricane Preparedness Week and Wildfire Awareness Month, customers are encouraged to prepare emergency kits with basic supplies and stay connected with Entergy through its various communication channels.
With crews continuing to work through the night, thousands of Mississippians will soon have their power restored. For others, the wait continues – a reminder of the ongoing challenge utilities face in balancing rapid restoration with the increasing frequency and severity of weather events.
