St. Louis Public Radio News
(2009-01-16)
ST. LOUIS, MO
(St. Louis Public Radio) -
Ameren power crews have restored service to all but a handful of customers in the Metro East.
Ameren utilities spokeswoman Victoria Busch says about 770 customers in the Alton area lost power around 6:30 am when the cold weather brought down a transmission line.
Busch says most of the power was restored by 10:30 am. She says the utility had to bring people back online slowly to make sure gas companies in the area had enough pressure in the system to handle a large number of furnaces turning on at once.
Investigators are inspecting the line, Busch said, but suspect a lightning strike may have caused the line to fray. The brutal cold would have made the ends brittle and more likely to snap.
© Copyright 2012, St. Louis Public Radio
