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Ameren talks storm preparedness

Weather in the Midwest can be unpredictable. Last July, nearby Cameron, Illinois was hit hard by a late season tornado that left the town covered in wreckage as crews cleaned up debris, tree limbs and power lines.

Ameren Illinois Division Director Daetta Jones says the power company has systems in place to address those problems at all hours. Jones tells Galesburg’s Morning News on WGIL Ameren’s storm plan is “very comprehensive.”

“It’s similar to an incident command structure that you think of in the military,” she says. “Everyone has a role and a responsibility that is involved in storm restoration. And we do have a very sophisticated weather system that we subscribe to. We watch weather 24/7.”

As for what people should do to prepare, Jones has some suggestions —  like keeping emergency phone numbers written down.

“We all tend to use our cell phones and our numbers are all in our phones,” she says, “but if you lose power to that phone or you don’t have a good battery or you’ve lost your battery, you may not know those numbers that you might need.”

She also recommends people have flashlights handy, bottled water and a first aid kit. If the weather looks like power could be knocked out for awhile, Jones suggests buying ice early and getting coolers ready.

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