Ameren Illinois Utilities Activate Emergency Operations Center in Wake of Early Morning Storms; Residents Urged to Report and St
August 05 2008 - 10:20AM
PR Newswire (US)
PEORIA, Ill., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ameren Illinois Utilities
have activated their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to
coordinate service restoration work in the wake of early morning
storms that left more than 28,000 customers without electrical
service. "Our top priority in this storm restoration effort is the
safety of our customers, our coworkers and our contractors," said
Carl Spence, manager of Ameren Illinois Division I. "People can
help by making sure they report any downed power lines and by
warning others to stay away from these lines. Residents should stay
away from brush and downed trees which may hide downed wires."
Anyone who sees a downed wire should immediately report it by
calling their Ameren Illinois Utility (AmerenCILCO -
1-888-672-5252; AmerenCIPS - 1-888-789-2477; AmerenIP -
1-800-755-5000). The Ameren Illinois Utilities have mobilized their
personnel to restore service throughout the storm impacted areas.
The storms raced through Central Illinois, beginning at about 5:00
a.m. today, leaving a total of 28,352 customers without electrical
service as of 8:00 a.m. today. The hardest hit area was Peoria
County with 15,926 customer outages at 8:00 a.m. There were 4,000
outages in Tazewell County, 2,900 outages in Woodford County and
1,778 outages in Iroquois County. Other hard hit counties were
Livingston with 702 outages, La Salle with 657 outages McLean with
425 outages. The Ameren Illinois utilities serve 1.2 million
electric and more than 840,000 natural gas customers in a
43,700-square-mile area of Illinois. NOTE TO EDITORS and NEWS
DIRECTORS: Ameren offers these tips for your safety and for coping
with power outages (also available on http://www.ameren.com)/ Check
on the elderly. If you know an elderly person in your neighborhood
who is without power, check on that person's health. Watch out for
downed wires. If you see a fallen or sagging wire, assume that it
is still energized and dangerous. Electric power lines can carry
power even after being knocked to the ground. Stay away and warn
others to do the same. Pull some plugs. Turn off or disconnect the
refrigerator, freezer, television, air conditioner and other major
appliances that would go on automatically when the power is
restored. This precaution will avoid overloading a circuit when
power comes back on - and the chance of a second interruption.
After power is restored, turn them on one at a time. Flip a switch.
Turn one or two light switches on so you will know when your
service is restored. There are also some steps you can take during
and after a storm to ensure the safety of your family, home and
pets. Keep your food cold. Resist the urge to peek in on the
refrigerator and freezer. Food will stay cold or frozen longer if
the appliance stays closed. -- Use caution with your food. Check
with your local health department and remember the rule, "When in
doubt, throw it out!" The University of Illinois Extension Service
says these foods should be discarded after four hours without
power: -- Raw or cooked meat, poultry and seafood -- Milk, cream,
yogurt and soft cheeses -- Cooked pasta and pasta salads --
Custard, chiffon and cheese pies -- Fresh eggs and egg substitutes
-- Meat-topped pizza and lunch meats -- Casseroles, soups and stews
-- Mayonnaise and tartar sauce -- Cookie dough These foods should
be safe for a few days without power: -- Butter and margarine --
Fresh fruits and vegetables -- Opened jars of salad dressing,
jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup and
olives -- Hard and processed cheeses DATASOURCE: Ameren Illinois
Utilities CONTACT: Leigh Morris, +1-217-535-5228, or Neal Johnson,
+1-309-677-5284, both of Ameren Illinois Utilities Web site:
http://www.ameren.com/
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