Electric outages linger from Gustav (UALR Public Radio) - Thousands of Arkansas electric customers remained without power on Friday in the wake of Hurricane Gustav.

The remnants of Gustav parked over Arkansas, reaching the state on Tuesday and knocking out power to as many as 140,000 utility customers. The storm didn't leave until Thursday, after it dropped as much as a foot of rain in places.

Renee Preslar, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said buses were supposed to begin leaving Friday night from Fort Chaffee, taking evacuees back to Louisiana. Preslar said the state must rely on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to organize the buses and aircraft.

"The state of Arkansas is trying to do everything we can go get them home," Preslar said.

Gov. Mike Beebe said he's heard complaints about delays in FEMA getting evacuees back home.

While as many as 16 buses were standing by to send some people at Fort Chaffee home, "I still don't think they have any definitive answer about the airplanes," Beebe said. Preslar said she was told flights would begin Saturday.

Beebe applauded volunteer groups, government officials and private citizens who provided care for evacuees, as they did after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Entergy Arkansas spokesman James Thompson said there were 26,000 customers still without power on Friday, 8,200 in Hot Springs and 3,500 in Little Rock. Thompson said the other 14,000 or so outages were scattered across Entergy's territory in the state.

Thompson said the utility hoped to have the bulk of Hot Springs and Little Rock customers on by midnight Friday, though some would have to wait until Sunday.

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