Smart Energy Plan

July 16, 2025

Smart technology helps thousands avoid outages during May 16 tornado

When an EF-3 tornado tore through the St. Louis metro area on May 16, it left behind a trail of devastation—damaged homes, downed trees, and a battered electric grid.

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More than 2,000 personnel descended on the worst-hit areas in north St. Louis to assess damage, remove debris, restore power and rebuild the system. This monumental task included rebuilding more than 100 miles of damaged electric lines and replacing more than 800 poles affected by the storm. Overcoming challenges posed by storm debris, crews were able to safely restore power to more than 100,000 customers in the first 48 hours following the tornado touchdown.

For tens of thousands of people in the path of the storm, restoration came even more quickly. Smart switches strategically placed along overhead lines began automatically rerouting power to prevent an additional 34,000 outages. Those customers may have experienced a brief power flicker but otherwise avoided any prolonged service interruption.

“We understand any outage can be frustrating, which is why we spend every day improving the grid to respond more quickly when disaster strikes,” said Tommie Bugett, director of Ameren Missouri’s North Metro operating center. “Thanks to years of strategic investment through the Smart Energy Plan, the storm’s impact on our customers wasn’t nearly as disruptive as it could have been, especially given the scale of damage.”

The Smart Energy Plan also played a key role in rebuilding the system to be stronger and more resilient in the face of future storms. In addition to new wood poles, crews also installed more than a dozen composite poles during the rebuild. These poles, made of fiberglass and resin, are stronger than wood poles and are more resistant to damage from high winds or tree limbs. Work to storm-harden the system continues in areas near the path of May 16 tornado, with additional composite pole installations and other line upgrades slated for this fall. And Ameren Missouri has plans to deploy additional smart switches on the system by the end of 2025.