PEORIA, Ill., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- April showers bring May flowers, but the Ameren Illinois Utilities remind you to be prepared for the increased risk of severe thunderstorms, high winds and tornadoes that may also accompany the return of warm weather. "Safety must be everyone's priority every day of the year, but safety takes on added significance when severe weather strikes," said Bill Prebil, Ameren Illinois Utilities vice president for Regional Operations. "The first safety rule is to stay away from downed power lines and always call us or '911' if you see downed lines," Prebil said. "Never go outside when it's dark because you won't be able to see a downed power line that could still be energized and dangerous. Stay away from brush, shrubs and downed trees that may hide downed lines." The Ameren Illinois Utilities urge you to be prepared for the typical spring and summer storms that are so often accompanied by high winds. These storms can damage trees, buildings and power lines, resulting in temporary outages. -- Begin your storm preparations by developing shelter plans for severe storm conditions. Then add IllinoisOutage.com to your Web site bookmarks. IllinoisOutage.com features valuable safety information, radar weather, outage information, important phone numbers and much more. -- If any member of your family has a medical condition, plan and make arrangements to have that person's special needs met in the event electricity is not available for an extended period of time during a storm. If a member of your household uses electrically operated medical equipment in the home, you should record that information in our Medical Equipment Registry. Call 1-888-672-5252 (AmerenCILCO), 1-888-789-2477 (AmerenCIPS) and 1-800-755-7000 (AmerenIP) for details. -- Assemble a "storm kit" and store it in a secure, centrally located part of your house. Make sure all family members know where to find that kit. It should contain: -- Emergency telephone numbers; flashlights and fresh batteries (avoid using candles, lanterns or oil lamps due to the fire risk); extra garage and house keys; a battery-powered radio; a battery-powered or wind-up alarm clock; a supply of bottled water (one gallon per person per day); non-perishable foods that don't require heating; blankets, bedding or sleeping bags; a first-aid kit and medications; a hand-operated can opener; special items for infants or family members with special needs; hand tools, such as a screwdriver, scissors and duct tape; household items like plastic utensils, paper plates, waterproof matches and household bleach; identification, and copies of important family documents. -- If your electric service is interrupted, be sure to unplug or protect sensitive computer and electronic equipment with a high-quality surge protector. -- When severe weather is predicted, make certain your cell phone is fully charged. Also, remember that cordless land line telephones will not function in the event of a power outage. -- If your power goes out, contact a neighbor to see if you are the only one without power. If you are the only one without service, check your panel box for a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse. If any breakers are in the "off" position or if a fuse is blown, you should investigate the problem. If you are still without power, or if others in your neighborhood are experiencing a power outage, call the Ameren Illinois Utilities at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week - and always call as soon as possible to report a downed line or natural gas odor! The Ameren Illinois Utility numbers are 1-888-672-5252 (AmerenCILCO), 1-888-789-2477 (AmerenCIPS) and 1-800-755-7000 (AmerenIP). "When severe storms cause power outages, our first priority is to correct potentially life-threatening situations, such as downed power lines or hospitals without power. We then implement power restoration plans focused on restoring power for the greatest number of customers in the shortest length of time," said Ron Pate, Ameren Illinois Utilities vice president of Regional Operations. When severe weather threatens, the key steps take by the Ameren Illinois Utilities include: -- Constantly monitor weather conditions, watching for any changes that may impact service. -- Place Ameren Illinois Utilities personnel on alert. -- Consider staging field personnel in preparation for storm restoration work. Decisions on staging are based on evolving weather conditions. -- In anticipation of severe weather, the Ameren Illinois Utilities may dispatch special Ameren Illinois Storm Trailers. These trailers are filled with materials field crews need to perform their service restoration work. The trailers can be moved to various staging sites to provide materials when outside crews come in to help with the restoration efforts and to provide a store of materials close to the area with the most damage. -- In severe weather situations, the Ameren Illinois Utilities Emergency Operations Center will be activated. The center is strategically located in Decatur. The Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) have been providing safe, reliable energy delivery service for more than a century. The Ameren Illinois Utilities deliver energy to 1.2 million electric and 840,000 natural gas customers in more than 1,200 communities within a 43,700-square-mile service territory, while helping you spend less by using less through our ActOnEnergy.com initiative. DATASOURCE: Ameren Illinois Utilities CONTACT: Neal Johnson, +1-309-677-5284, or Victoria Busch, +1-618-346-1286, both of Ameren Illinois Utilities Web Site: http://www.ameren.com/

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