I spent a second night without power and air conditioning. It was warm but not unbearable. The air temperature when I went to bed was 91 degrees and when I got up it was 82 degrees but with the heat index it was 89. You know, you stick to the sheets pretty good when it's that warm. But, it could be worse.
One thing I am hearing from the spin doctors at the utility company (Ameren) is that this is the worst storm they have had to deal with in their 100 plus year history. Yeah, maybe in their mind. The real story is why a storm that the National Weather Service did not list as that severe has caused so much damage to the electrical infrastructure in Saint Louis.
The real story is Ameren is no longer being pro-active in upgrading and replacing worn out facilities. The former company had a regular maintenance plan that replaced equipment at regular intervals. The new company replaces things when they wear out or are destroyed. Thus when this storm came through it became the worst in the company's history. Oh and one other thing, while about 350 thousand homes are still without power at this time the company recently requested a 30 percent rate hike from state regulators. Maybe regulators should be asking what Ameren is doing with the money it is already making. Because it sure isn't being put back into the infrastructure.
