AmerenUE reports that within the first 12 hours after yesterday’s severe storm struck the St. Louis metropolitan area, it restored service to about 85 percent of the nearly 52,000 customers who lost power due to the storm. UE expects to restore service today to nearly all of the 8,000 customers still without power, although some customers in the hardest hit or certain isolated areas may not have their power back on until Thursday.

UE has 800 employees and contractors working to restore service, including 500 line workers from throughout the company’s service area.

The outages were caused by lightning and strong winds toppling and uprooting trees. Damage and related power outages were widespread across the St. Louis metropolitan area, with the heaviest concentration of damage and outages in the Ladue, Clayton and University City area, as well as north St. Louis County.

UE provides electricity and natural gas to 1.2 million customers in Missouri. UE’s parent, Ameren Corporation, through its affiliates, serves 2.4 million electric and nearly 1 million natural gas customers across 64,000 square miles of Missouri and Illinois.