Ameren Missouri Responds to Tornadoes and Flooding

More than 350 Ameren Missouri crew members, with support from other utilities, worked through the Memorial Day weekend to safely restore power to more than 10,000 customers in central Missouri impacted by a tornado just before midnight on May 22.

At the peak, more than 16,000 customers were without service, with the largest concentration of outages in the Jefferson City and the Eldon areas. 

There were approximately 95 utility poles damaged in Jefferson City and more than 30 poles damaged in Eldon.

Ameren Missouri used helicopters and drones to better assess damage, which included assisting local electric cooperatives in their damage assessments.

Additional Ameren Missouri crews conducted natural gas leak surveys in Jefferson City and Eldon. For safety, natural gas service was shut off to areas of the capital city that were damaged by the tornado. 

"There has been tremendous support from the community for our customers, our line workers in the field, and for volunteering to assist with clean-up efforts in these two communities," said Warren Wood, vice president, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, Ameren Missouri. "Co-workers from our Callaway Energy Center collected, purchased and delivered supplies to assist a local Jefferson City restaurant, Love2Nourish, providing food to area residents in the aftermath of the tornado."

In addition, Ameren Missouri contributed $25,000 to the Central and Northern Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts.

“Ameren continues to be a generous partner of the Red Cross and to the communities they serve,” said Abigail Anderson, executive director of the Central and Northern Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross. “We are grateful for their continued support of our mission.” 

The contribution is part of the AmerenCares initiative, which connects Ameren with the communities it serves through charitable giving and volunteering. A key focus of AmerenCares is partnering with nonprofit organizations to improve the quality of life in Ameren’s service territories.

“We believe in supporting the communities we serve,” said Michael Moehn, chairman and president, Ameren Missouri. “Our crews worked around the clock to safely assist customers, and we hope this donation will provide additional assistance.” 

Ameren Missouri reminds customers that safety is the first and foremost concern during any weather event. Stay clear of downed power lines and always call Ameren Missouri at 1.800.552.7583 or 911 for downed power lines or a suspected natural gas leak.