8 p.m.

Southwestern Electric linemen are restoring power to members throughout the co-op’s service area this evening after strong storms, lightning and high winds damaged equipment and brought down limbs and power lines. 

At 8 p.m., 360 Southwestern Electric members were without power.  About 200 members in Bond County were without power, while 100 members in Fayette County had been affected by the storm. The remainder of the outages were scattered across Clinton, Effingham, Madison, Marion and St. Clair counties.

Crews were dispatched as the first outages were reported early this evening and linemen are currently making repairs across Southwestern’s service area. 

Members who see downed or sagging power lines should stay clear of the area and contact Southwestern Electric Cooperative at (800) 637-8667. In addition, people clearing debris should look for sagging or fallen wires before they begin working and treat every powerline as if it’s energized.