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26k+ still powerless: CU talks Wednesday repair plans

26k+ still powerless: CU talks Wednesday repair plans

Yahoo30-04-2025
SPRINGFIELD — In the worst power outage event in Springfield since 2007, City Utilities is referring to this as a 'prolonged power outage event'.
In the video above, you can see the full interview between Ozarks First News Anchor Jesse Inman, and Joel Alexander, Media Relations Manager for City Utilities. Alexander stopped by Ozarks First morning show 'Daybreak' on Wednesday to break down what crews are up against as we head into Wednesday.
Alexander says a large-scale emergency was declared Tuesday afternoon allowing them to call in mutual-aid crews. Ozarks First asked the question on everyone's mind this morning: How long until power is fully restored?
'We really can't give an estimate on individual customers, or a full restoration on this. It's just too soon to tell,' Alexander told Ozarks First News Anchor Jesse Inman. 'We're just 24 hours into this, basically. Our crews are working around the clock to get people restored just as quickly as we can.'
The scale of the outages are being compared to the ice storm of 2007 that crippled power to tens of thousands of customers at that time. However, Alexander points out some difference between that storm, and the damage seen from Tuesday's storms. 'Public works is actually out using dozers and heavy duty equipment to get trees that are on the streets off, so that we can even get in,' says Alexander.
Wind from the storms measured at nearly 90 mph on Tuesday, toppling trees and power lines. No tornado has been confirmed yet in Springfield, although the National Weather Service will continue surveying damage this morning.
As of approximately 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, City Utilities estimates about 26,500 people are still without power, which is about half of what CU saw at the peak of outages. Alexander says crews worked overnight, which he says is dangerous and much slower than daytime work. As for the plan on Wednesday, Alexander describes it as all-hands-on-deck.
'We're going to have at least 100 lineman that are going to be out there. We'll have support crews, and tree trimming crews. We're going to see a lot of change in the outage number as we go throughout the day, and this is going to be a long term event,' Alexander says, adding that there is a priority list CU has on certain places to make sure the community is still functioning such as hospitals. That doesn't necessarily mean that certain neighborhoods will take priority.
'We try to look at the areas we can make that largest impact of bringing customers back on. It's not necessarily that we take those calls as they come in. Some of those are maybe outages in the backyard that require special equipment, or we may climb up the pole and make that repair. Some of it may be that we can bring a feeder or a substation back on and bring a larger number of customers back on.'
Check out the full interview in the video above to hear about homes with damaged weather heads damaged service entry points can make repairs take even longer, and what customers facing that situation must do before CU can start making repairs on it.
The utility company also stresses that if you see downed power lines, do not go near them.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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20 years after Katrina, New Orleanians are redefining 'home'
20 years after Katrina, New Orleanians are redefining 'home'

National Geographic

time4 days ago

  • National Geographic

20 years after Katrina, New Orleanians are redefining 'home'

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Thousands of Springfield residents have no power. How to report outages, keep food safe
Thousands of Springfield residents have no power. How to report outages, keep food safe

Yahoo

time30-06-2025

  • Yahoo

Thousands of Springfield residents have no power. How to report outages, keep food safe

June 29 thunderstorms accompanied by 60- to 80-mph winds have again knocked out power for tens of thousands of Springfield residents. As of late Sunday night, about 29,000 City Utilities customers were reported without electricity, according to the utility's outage map, down from a reported total of more than 37,000. If you're among those without power, here's an update on restoration, how to report outages and what to do to keep your family safe from food poisoning. In an email update at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday, June 29, CU said that 37,000 customers were without power, and that the number was expected to grow as more outages were reported. A few hours later, the reported outages had declined by several thousand as restoration efforts continued. Even so, CU warned that recovery could be prolonged, with much work to be done. "CU crews are actively assessing damage and restoring power," the utility said in the statement. "We've also requested mutual assistance to help speed up restoration efforts. Restoration times may be extended and this will be a multi-day event for some. All available resources will be mobilized to respond." CU customers can report outages by calling (888) 863-9001 to ensure addresses are included in restoration efforts. More: 37,000+ without power across Springfield after damaging winds sweep through Ozarks Losing power is more than inconvenient — it can cause issues related to food safety. Keeping your freezer and fridge doors closed can help preserve the food in there, as each time you open it when your power is out, cold air escapes. According to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, you should throw out perishable food that's been in your refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours without power. You should also throw out food that's been above 45 degrees Fahrenheit for longer than 2 hours. SGCHD says you can re-freeze food in the freezer that is below 40 degrees or still has ice crystals. You can also add bags of ice or dry ice to the freezer if it seems like the power will be off for an extended period of time. Do not taste food to try to determine if it's safe. Some foods may look and smell fine, but can harbor an amount of bacteria able to cause foodborne illness if it's been left at room temperature for longer than two hours. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Power out in Ozarks? How to report outages, keep food safe

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

Yahoo

time30-06-2025

  • Yahoo

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

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: 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 (888) 863-9001 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 city@ 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 (417) 863-9000. 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

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