19,000 still in dark in state

The Associated Press

Around 19,000 Entergy Arkansas customers were still without power Tuesday after weekend storms from Hurricane Ike, a company spokesman said.

David Lewis said that from Sunday’s peak of 179,000 customers without power because of high winds, tornadoes and rain from the remnants of Ike, there were 18,967 customers of the state’s largest utility still in the dark. He said the company was 89 percent complete its work to restore service to everyone.

In Hot Springs, 8,525 customers remained in the dark; the Batesville-Newport area had 1,369 still without power, and Little Rock had 959 customers without electricity, Lewis said.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said Texans who fled to Arkansas to escape Ike may be eligible for assistance to cover hotel costs.

ADEM said the federal program is called the Transitional Sheltering Program, and applies to the period from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. To start the application process, a person must call the hotline for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.