Ameren Explains What Happens During a Storm and How to Stay Safe

Our Daily Show Interview! Ameren Illinois: Storm Preparedness

ILLINOIS - As spring storms roll in, an Ameren spokesperson is clarifying how Ameren Illinois prepares and responds to storms, damage, and safety concerns.

Brian Bretsch with Ameren Illinois noted that the company’s community liaison works closely with local city and county stakeholders as well as police and fire departments to ensure safety throughout a storm. This person will keep track of local outages and downed power lines so the crews can take care of these safety issues.

When power goes down, Ameren first focuses on critical infrastructure like hospitals and police and fire departments. They work around the clock to get power restored to these buildings.

Then, Ameren will consider where the next fix should be. Damaged transmission lines will bring more people back online if they can be quickly repaired, so most crews will start there.

If there’s one neighborhood where 5,000 people are without power and another where 1,600 people have no power, the company will likely work to restore the bigger neighborhood first. If the fix for the smaller neighborhood is much easier, they might start there.

“We don’t play favorites,” Bretsch explained. “You’re here and we understand that you’re out, but there is a hospital over here or a public works building that is over here. We have to restore this community first before we can get to you. That’s just the way we operate. Critical first, the most first, and then when we get into day two or three, we call them the onesies or twosies where it may be just you and a couple of neighbors that are out. We are getting to you, but again, you’ve always got to keep in mind we’re trying to get on as many people as possible.”

Ameren will closely watch the weather and relocate crews as needed. It’s common for them to put out-of-town crews up in hotels when they know a storm is incoming in a certain region.

There are a few ways you can make sure you stay safe in the aftermath of a storm. Bretsch urges community members to never drive over downed power lines and to pay attention if lines are hanging low. He advises folks to always assume these lines are energized and to be safe rather than sorry.

“The best thing to do is assume it’s a power line and turn your vehicle around. Go the opposite direction. Please do not drive over a line,” he said. “A lot of people think they’re safe in their vehicle, but what can happen is that wire can get entangled in something underneath your car, can catch on a wheel, catch onto the bumper, and then the next thing you know you’ve pulled infrastructure like a power pole with a transformer or other things onto your vehicle or in front of you, putting yourself in further harm’s way.”

Following the storms last weekend, Bretsch shared that a Missouri woman was shocked when she stepped out of her car after hitting a power pole. He encourages community members to stay in their cars in that situation and wait for Ameren to deenergize the line. Similarly, if a line falls in your yard, curb your curiosity and stay away.

In all of these situations, you can call Ameren Illinois at 1-800-755-5000 to ask for assistance, report a fallen line, or ask questions. Bretsch emphasized that the company wants people to remain safe, and they will work around the clock during storms to ensure communities have power where they need it.

For more information about Ameren Illinois, or to learn more about their storm preparedness and safety tips, visit their official website.

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