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Water & Flood Safety

Never drive through flood waters. Turn around and find an alternate route to your destination. Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control and possible stalling. One foot of water will cause most vehicles to float, and two feet of rushing water can sweep away a vehicle.

In the event of flooding in or around your home or business, call Ameren to have service turned off if the flood waters are likely to reach service equipment. Your service may also be turned off at the request of local authorities when flood waters threaten a community.

Safety Tips for Electric Equipment

  • Never enter a flooded basement or other flooded areas where water may be in contact with electrical wiring, appliances or other electrical devices.
  • Never operate electrical appliances or devices or touch electrical switches, outlets or cords if you are standing in water or are on a wet surface, or if you are wet.
  • Under no circumstances should you attempt to turn off power at the main electrical panel box if you must stand in water or even on a wet floor to do so.

Safety Tips for Natural Gas

Natural disasters can lead to hidden hazards related to your utility service. If your home suffers structural damage from a disaster and you smell or hear the sound of escaping gas, immediately evacuate the premises and then call 911 and Ameren Missouri at 1.800.552.7583.

  • Do not attempt to relight any appliances or pilot lights.
  • Do not turn lights on or off, operate thermostats, garage door openers, appliances or anything that could cause a spark.
  • Do not use a phone or light a match inside or near the building.
  • Do not open windows or doors to ventilate the building.
  • Do not re-enter the property for any reason until Ameren personnel tells you that it is safe to enter.

Ameren Missouri personnel will restore gas service when it is safe to do so. In the case of flooding, if an electrical or natural gas appliance has been in contact with water, have a professional check it before you attempt to use it.

About Our Flood Plans

  • We closely monitor and assess the elevation of the land and flood stage levels surrounding our facilities to determine if there is a potential risk for flooding.
  • If electrical systems in at-risk areas become threatened, our most vulnerable equipment is sealed or removed. We may also place sandbags around at-risk facilities.
  • If substations are threatened by flood waters, we switch electrical feeds to alternate substations in order to maintain service.
  • To avoid future flooding issues, we have relocated some flood-prone facilities to higher elevations and built levies around others.
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