About 140K without power in Arkansas (UALR Public Radio) - Arkansas faced its own storm troubles Wednesday, with power out to about 140,000 homes and businesses, as the state continued to shelter thousands of Louisiana residents who fled their state days earlier in advance of Hurricane Gustav.

Work to restore power to some 95,000 Entergy Arkansas customers advanced slowly because of high winds, downed power lines, and flooded roads, company spokesman James Thompson said. Gusts up to 40 mph kept linemen on the ground, and Thompson said it could be Saturday before electricity is restored to all Entergy customers.

"We just cannot send our workers up in the bucket trucks. It's a safety thing," Thompson said.

Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas reported some 40,000 customers without power among those served by co-op members. Cooperative spokesman Doug White said electricity should be restored to most customers by the end of the day.

Meanwhile, the state looked after more than 5,000 evacuees from Gustav at Fort Chaffee in western Arkansas and in 47 shelters that had opened since Louisiana residents began arriving over the weekend. Many others from the Gulf Coast were staying with friends and family.

Tommy Jackson, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, said officials by Wednesday afternoon had not determined when the 2,308 people at Fort Chaffee would be taken home as they arrived - by government-chartered bus or plane. He said some shelter evacuees who drove in on their own apparently had headed back south.

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