News Releases

Ameren Missouri Storm Restoration Update

9 a.m.

7/15/2023

CURRENT SITUATION

• High winds and severe thunderstorms popped up in various locations of our service territory on Friday night and early Saturday morning, affecting our customers throughout the metropolitan St. Louis area. More than 80% of the damage is located in St. Louis County, with a heavy concentration in North St. Louis County. Hundreds of Ameren Missouri crew members are currently responding and are working to safely restore impacted customers.
• Widespread damage from two lines of severe thunderstorms includes large tree limbs and downed trees that have fallen on poles and wires.
• Our Forestry crews are in the field cutting and removing large trees and branches, which can take considerable time prior to additional crews completing restoration repairs.
• We understand that our customers are frustrated after some neighborhoods and communities we serve have experienced multiple rounds of extreme and severe weather over the past several weeks.  We appreciate our customers’ patience as all available crews work to safely restore existing outages and new outages resulting from new storm lines. We also advise customers to always assume a downed wire is live. Be careful around pools of water. Stay clear of brush, shrubs and downed trees that may hide downed power lines.  

HOW WE ARE RESPONDING

• Crews have restored service to more than 26,000 customers in Missouri. Outage numbers peaked at more than 30,000 on Friday night and again on Saturday morning.
• We will continue working to safely restore power to customers as soon as possible, but as we continue to assess damage, we anticipate restoration efforts will extend through the weekend and possibly into Monday. In an event with widespread outages, individual estimated restoration times are not immediately available. See the Ameren outage map for the latest: www.ameren.com/outagemap
• Hundreds of Ameren personnel are on the job today, including mutual aid crews from other states arriving to assist in restoration.  Drone teams have been deployed to help pinpoint damage quickly and safely so our line crews can focus on restoration efforts.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Most of the damage we’re seeing is from large tree limbs and downed trees. The damage has affected distributed lines and higher voltage sub-transmission lines.
• The energy grid is highly interconnected. Repairs may be happening several blocks, or miles, away. Customers may not ever see Ameren Missouri vehicles on their street during restoration efforts. 
• Additional storms are forecasted over the weekend, and summer pop-up storms are always possible in the Midwest. Ameren Missouri is monitoring weather reports across our service territory this weekend for additional storms and weather threats.
• In addition to crews working to restore power, we also will have teams going into affected areas to assess damage. These crews are collecting information so that line crews are equipped with what they need for local repairs when assigned.

RESTORATION PRIORITIES

• Priority one is to respond to life-threatening emergencies, such as downed-wires, and to handle all problems impacting critical infrastructure such as hospitals and other emergency response facilities – police and fire, and municipal systems.
• Once power is restored to critical infrastructure, we focus on getting the most customers restored in the quickest and most efficient manner. Crews begin with main lines – those that can restore power to perhaps thousands of people – and then move to lines that affect individual homes and neighborhoods.

• Because of their general location along primary power lines, homes in the same neighborhood may be restored at different times. It's also why businesses are sometimes restored first.
• Learn more about how we restore power: Power Restoration - Ameren.com

SAFETY 

• Safety is the first and foremost concern during any weather event. Stay clear of any downed power lines or poles. Always assume a downed wire is live. Be careful around pools of water. Stay clear of brush, shrubs and downed trees that may hide downed power lines. 
• Customers should report any downed power lines to the Ameren Missouri customer line: 800.552.7583.  
• If your power is out, check your circuit breakers or fuses – your service outage might be the result of a household problem. Avoid any risk of electrical shock and do not enter any flooded areas.   
• Create a plan for seeking shelter in the event of severe weather and discuss the plan with all members of the household.
• Keep phones and electronics charged when storms are in the forecast.
• Prepare a storm kit with emergency telephone numbers, flashlights and a radio with fresh batteries, along with bottled water and non-perishable foods that don't require heating. Also include medication and special items for infants, the elderly or family members with special needs.
• Ameren Missouri is encouraging customers to check on friends and neighbors and individuals with special needs. 
   

WHAT CUSTOMERS CAN DO  

• To ensure we can provide you with the latest outage update, we must have your correct phone number or email address. Please create or log in to your Ameren account online to ensure your contact information is correct.   
• Customers can check the status of their restoration at Ameren.com or download the free Ameren app for updates as they become available. Sign up for alerts. Text REG to AMEREN (263736) to start or visit Ameren.com/Alerts.  
• When reporting an outage, please use the phone number associated with the account.  Entering a number that is not associated with the account will create an error message. 
• Customers can follow Ameren Missouri on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest information on what's happening with restoration efforts.   
• Be aware of scammers asking for payment to restore your utility service. If something feels off, hang up or close the door and call us. If you have questions about your account balance, please call Ameren directly. We are here to help.