With severe storms predicted to impact the entire area of the Ameren Illinois service territory this evening, Ameren Illinois has called in and placed on stand-by numerous personnel. In the event of power outages, Ameren Illinois will be able to rapidly respond by mobilizing its line, vegetation and damage assessment crews to impacted areas.
The Ameren Illinois Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is taking these actions:
Weather conditions are being actively monitored for any changes that may impact service.
Contractor personnel have been placed on alert.
Trucks will be fueled and loaded with supplies this afternoon so they are ready for immediate deployment.
If necessary, Ameren Illinois is prepared to deploy the special Ameren Illinois Storm Trailers. These trailers are filled with materials field crews need to perform their service restoration work. The trailers can be moved to various staging sites to provide materials when outside crews come in to help with the restoration efforts and to provide a store of materials close to the area with the most damage.
Ron Pate, senior vice president of Operations and Technical Services for Ameren Illinois, said the company's first priority is safety. Potentially life-threatening situations, such as downed power lines and service disruptions at hospitals and other critical facilities, will be handled first.
Customer safety tips
"Safety is our priority every day of the year, but it takes on added significance when severe weather strikes," said Pate. "The first safety rule is to stay away from downed power lines and immediately call us if you see one. Never go outside during a power outage after sunset because you won't be able to see a downed power line that could still be energized and dangerous. Stay away from brush, shrubs and downed trees that may hide downed lines."
The measures customers should take to prepare for a power outage or loss of natural gas service are similar to those needed to prepare for any emergency situation.
If your electric service is interrupted, be sure to unplug or protect sensitive computer and electronic equipment with a high-quality surge protector.
When severe weather is predicted, fully charge your cell phone. Also, remember that cordless land-line telephones will not function in the event of a power outage.
Reporting an Outage
Customers who experience a power outage immediately should report it to Ameren Illinois by calling 1-800-755-5000. Detailed safety and outage information is available on the Ameren Illinois outage map at AmerenIllinois.com and updates will be provided on Twitter @AmerenIllinois and Facebook. Customers can also sign up for text or email notifications once an outage has been reported. Visit Ameren.com/alerts.
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers in Illinois. Our mission is to power the quality of life. Our service area covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com. Follow us on Twitter @AmerenIllinois and Facebook.
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