Summary
Another line of severe weather, including at least one or two tornadoes, rolled across the north and east portion of the Ameren Illinois service territory, June 17. The hardest hit areas after the latest storm are Decatur, Mattoon and Charleston area.
Galesburg remains the hardest hit area after the 10:30 a.m., storm on June 17.
Since yesterday morning's storm, crews have safely restored 63,000 customer outages.
More than 1,500 resources are engaged in the restoration efforts. Today, Ameren Illinois will move additional internal crews from the West and South regions to support clean-up efforts. In addition, more contractors will arrive in the North and East region later today.
Ameren Illinois activated its Incident Management Team (IMT) at 10:30 a.m., June 17, to coordinate resources and support restoration operations. The IMT remains fully activated.
Current Situation
- Approximately 25,000 customers are without power at the time of this report. The hardest-hit area remaining after the morning storm of June 17 is in the greater Galesburg area. The hardest-hit areas after the evening storm of June 17 are Decatur, Charleston and Mattoon.
- More than 380 distribution and sub-transmission poles are down.
- Replacing a broken power pole is one of the most complex steps in the restoration process and can take several hours depending on damage and site conditions.
- For the latest outage information, view the Ameren Outage Map.
Restoration Resources
- Crews and support personnel are prepared to work into the evening and into June 19 to restore service.
Estimated Safe Restoration Times (ESRTs)
For the purpose of communicating with customers and the public, we say that 80% of the impacted customers are expected to be restored by the established Global ESRT.
- North
- Bloomington – ESRT, 4 p.m., June 18
- Eastern – ESRT, 1 p.m., June 18
- Peoria – ESRT, noon, June 19
- Galesburg Area – ESRT, 11 p.m., June 19
- Decatur – ESRT, 11 p.m., June 19
- East
- Tuscola – ESRT, 3 p.m., June 18
- Pana – ESRT, 5 p.m., June 18
- Mattoon – ESRT, 11 p.m., June 18
- Effingham – ESRT, 11 p.m., June 18
Communication
We understand there is never a good time to lose power and appreciate our customers’ patience as crews work to safely restore service as quickly as possible.
- Real-time outage updates and safety information are available via the Ameren outage map and mobile app.
- Customers and media can also follow updates on Ameren Illinois social channels:
- X: @AmerenIllinois
- Facebook: Ameren Illinois
We encourage customers to check on elderly neighbors or others who may need assistance during outages.
Ameren reminds customers that certain electrical equipment on the outside of a home or business, like the weatherhead, is owned by the customer. If damaged during a storm, this will need to be repaired by a qualified electrician before we can restore power to your home.
How Ameren Illinois Restores Power
- Priority one is responding to life-threatening emergencies, including downed wires, and restoring power to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, police and fire facilities.
- After critical services are restored, crews focus on repairs that restore the greatest number of customers as quickly as possible.
- Work progresses from main lines serving large numbers of customers to smaller lines and individual service connections.
- This process means some customers in the same area may have power restored at different times.
Safety
Safety remains our top priority during any storm event.
- Stay away from downed power lines and assume they are energized.
- Report downed lines using the Ameren mobile app or by calling 800-755-5000.
- Never drive over downed power lines.
- If your power is out, check breakers or fuses before reporting an outage.
- Avoid flooded areas due to potential electrical hazards.
Follow all portable generator safety guidelines.
