Winter storm warning remains in effect; few problems reported

Nearly all Southeast Missouri schools were closed today for inclement weather, but so far roads are mostly just wet.

As of 8:45 a.m., all Jackson public utility customers had power, city administrator Jim Roach said.

Jackson police reported no car wrecks.

Mainly light precipitation fell in the Cape Girardeau area overnight as temperatures stayed at or just below the freezing mark. A winter storm warning remains in effect for most of the region through 6 p.m., with forecasters continuing to predict 2 to 5 inches of snow by evening.

In Cape Girardeau, only four AmerenUE customers were without power as of 9 a.m., down from 1,747 at 8:10 a.m. According to information on AmerenUE's Web site, 49 utlity customers in Chaffee, 279 in Delta, and 63 customers near Jackson using AmerenUE were without power.

Approximately 7,000 customers of Citizens Electric Corporation lost power shortly after 3 a.m. when a major transmission line feeding five substations went down, the cooperative utility company said in a news release issued at 8 a.m. Crews restored power to most customers within a little more than an hour, with the remainder regaining electricity about 5 a.m.

Ice caused additional outages, the company said, and about 900 customers, mainly from Perryville, Mo., to Fruitland, were without electricity at 8 a.m.

Black River Electric Cooperative is reporting no outages.

Steve Cook, Cape Girardeau's assistant public works director, said roads are mainly wet, although some bridges are beginning to become icy. With 800 tons of salt on hand, crews are prepped to "be able to handle a pretty major storm event," he said.

"We were waiting for the police department to call the street department to tell us when to come in, but we never got a call from the police. Crews came in at the normal time," he said. "The streets were just wet and still are just wet," he said.

Crews in Cape Girardeau are salting roads in case the temperature drops, and in Jackson crews are putting down cinder to gain traction on slick spots.

"So far, so good," Roach said. "There's nothing to scrape at this point. I don't know how it's going to progress."

For updates, check back at www.semissourian.com or read Wednesday's Southeast Missourian.