Springfield storm damage: 14,000 without power in latest update, restoration continues

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2 days ago

11:27 a.m. — As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 30, roughly 9,000 of City Utilities customers remain without power, according to a Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Managment news release. This is down from a peak of 37,000.
More than 90 lineworkers worked overnight to assess and repair damage. Additional crews, including mutual aid and tree trimming teams, have joined the effort, according to the release.
Due to the widespread nature of the storms, the release indicated customers should prepare for a multi-day outage with substantial restoration expected by Thursday, July 3. Homeowners are asked to inspect their weatherheads, the connection point where power lines meet the building. If damaged, these must be repaired by a licensed electrician before service can be restored.
As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, Liberty Electric still reported 1,400 outages and Ozark Electric 5,000 outages.
Due to the outages, four city-managed intersections remain dark, with four additional intersections operating via generator or internal battery backups. Motorists are reminded to treat these are four-way strops and utilize caution.
City Utilities crews working through the night were able to restore electricity to several thousand Springfield area customers but an estimated 14,000 remained without power at 7 a.m., when the utility provided its most recent update on social media.
At least 37,000 CU customers lost power in the wake of a storm that passed through Springfield about 5 p.m. Sunday, June 29. High winds reported to have reached up to 80 mph toppled trees and power lines across the city.
In addition to the CU crews working to restore power, mutual aid and contract crews were expected to arrive to help throughout the evening and today.
"Due to the widespread nature of the damage, customers should prepare for a multi-day outage," CU said in a Facebook post. "As of this morning, CU expects service to be substantially restored to customers who can accept power by Thursday, July 3. Check the CU outage map for the latest updates: www.cityutilities.net."
The utility also encouraged residents to check their weatherhead (where power lines connect to your building) for damage. Any damage to the weatherhead must be repaired by a licensed electrician before CU crews can reconnect service.
More rain was in the forecast throughout the day Monday, June 30, followed by mostly sunny and hot weather through the Fourth of July.
In addition to power restoration efforts, the City of Springfield noted in an update late Sunday that Springfield Police and the Greene County Sheriff's Office were assisting with traffic control and responding to reports of downed trees and power lines. Springfield Public Works was helping clear roadways and Springfield-Greene County Park Board employees were assessing damage to city parks and trails.
"Traffic lights throughout the city may be impacted by significant power outages," the city said in the statement. "If a traffic signal is dark or flashing, remember to treat the intersection as a four-way stop. Please travel slowly and use caution."
CU continues to encourage customers to call in to report outages at [phone] to ensure addresses are included in restoration efforts. Downed power lines can be reported by calling 417-863-9000.
To report debris in the roadway within city limits, call 417-864-1010 or email [e-mail]. To report any damage to structures or vehicles residents should call Springfield-Greene County OEM damage assessment line at 417-829-6200.
CU is also receiving reports of natural gas odors and possible leaks. If you smell gas or suspect a gas leak, leave the area immediately and call 911 or City Utilities at [phone]. Do not use electrical switches, phones, or anything that could create a spark.
More: Thousands of Springfield residents have no power. How to report outages, keep food safe
Due to the high volume of calls, some calls to Springfield-Greene County 911 were rolling over to Jasper County Emergency Services, Joplin 911, and other surrounding jurisdictions.
"To help telecommunicators prioritize storm-related calls, 911 should be reserved for life-threatening situations like being trapped in a home or vehicle, power lines are down and are smoking, sparking or on fire, there is a medical emergency, or the power is out and someone in the home is on oxygen therapy," the city said in its release late Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield storm damage: 14,000 without power in latest update