Nearly 66,000 customers in St. Louis, primarily in north St. Louis, were still without power on Saturday evening after thunderstorms and an EF3-level tornado knocked out power lines across St. Louis, according to an Ameren spokesperson.
The number dropped from nearly 115,000 customers who lost power Friday afternoon.
Ameren said it is working to survey the damage during a press briefing Saturday evening but warned that some customers may remain without power for days as efforts to clear fallen trees and debris are underway.
The spokesperson also said power structures that support critical infrastructure like hospitals, nursing homes, and fire and police stations are being prioritized.
The death toll has remained the same since Friday, at five people ages 30 to 82 killed during the storms. St. Louis police said they had identified three of the victims and were working to notify the next of kin.
The St. Louis Fire Department said that it planned to complete its final assessment of the damage and identify any additional fatalities across the city by Saturday evening.
A curfew that St. Louis officials set in place Friday evening will remain in place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for St. Louis Metropolitan Police Districts 5 and 6, which is roughly north of Forest Park within city bounds..
Residents across the city have raised questions about whether or not storm sirens were activated. Mayor Cara Spencer said at the briefing that city officials were still investigating internal protocols and are taking the matter seriously.
LaKricia Cox, executive director of the American Red Cross Greater St. Louis chapter, said the shelter located at the Grace United Methodist Church is now full and encouraged residents to seek shelter at the 12th & Park Recreation Center, 1410 S. Tucker Blvd., which has about 200 beds and showers.
Cox said the Red Cross will open more shelters if necessary.
Congressman Wesley Bell said he is working with lawmakers and Gov. Mike Kehoe to send a request to the White House for a disaster declaration, which would open up assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“This is not a Democrat or Republican issue,” Bell said. “Everyone is on board to address this issue, but I do want to caution everyone this is not going to be an overnight fix.”
