Nearly 120,000 without power in and around St. Louis due to severe thunderstorm

Featured image: Kelly Sikkema

ST. LOUIS — Nearly 120,000 people in Missouri were left without power Saturday afternoon after a storm system swept through the area, according to an outage map on Ameren’s website.

The outage map reported that 93,715 people in Missouri were without power. That included 52,242 people in St. Louis County, 16,572 people in St. Charles County, and 6,307 people in Jefferson County.

The map also said there were 24,732 people in Illinois who had lost power. That included 11,747 people in Madison County and 6,500 people in St. Clair County.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for St. Louis and surrounding counties at around 3:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service’s St. Louis field office. 

“Hail damage to vehicles is expected,” the service said in its Severe Thunderstorm Warning announcement. “Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.”

The service said these severe storms will be near “Breese, New Baden, Marissa, Aviston, St. Rose, Germantown, Albers, Pocahontas, Baldwin, and Jamestown around 4:45 PM.”

Other locations reportedly in the storm’s path include Sparta, Okawville, Tilden, Carlyle, Beckemeyer, Lively Grove, Beaver, Creek, Greenville and Coulterville.

The service recommends moving to a room inside a home on the lowest floor of the structure as the thunderstorm rolls through.

“If this storm threatens you, get inside away from windows and doors,” 5 On Your Side Chief Meteorologist Scott Connell said on Twitter.

3:20 Update – Severe thunderstorms are moving across eastern MO into southwest IL. Expect damaging winds with gusts of 70 mph. Severe thunderstorms will continue to move to the southeast over the next few hours. Stay weather aware! #mowx #ilwx #stlwx pic.twitter.com/sTXl88wRIa

— NWS St. Louis (@NWSStLouis) July 29, 2023