With an additional wave of Ameren employees headed to Florida, Ameren now has approximately 1,000 employees and contractors assisting in the restoration and rebuilding efforts in response to Hurricane Irma.
The company also announced today an additional $25,000 donation to aid Red Cross relief efforts in Florida, following a similar donation last week for Texas after Hurricane Harvey.
"Historic storms such as Harvey and Irma require a large collaborative response effort from utilities and relief organizations," said Warner Baxter, chairman, president and CEO of Ameren Corporation. "Being able to assist in power restoration efforts and offer resources to organizations that help those in need can make a real difference in recovery efforts – which is why we are providing both. For those who have been affected by these devastating storms, our hope is to help get these communities back on their feet as quickly as possible."
Ameren resources working in Florida or headed that way include those from Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois and Ameren Transmission.
According to the Edison Electric Institute, Hurricane Irma is likely to be one of the largest and most complex power-restoration efforts in U.S. history.
Ameren participates in the electric industry's mutual assistance network through Edison Electric Institute, which means the company is available to help with emergencies in other parts of the country such as Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Customers of Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri have benefited from past assistance from other utilities following severe weather in the Midwest, including tornados, ice storms and other weather events.
