Nearly 1,500 Columbia customers woke up without power early Thursday morning as storms rolled through mid-Missouri, cutting electricity to homes and businesses across the region. The severe weather system moved through the region, leaving crews scrambling to restore service in Columbia and several surrounding counties.
As of Thursday morning, 1,535 Columbia customers were without power, according to ABC 17 News, which cited data from KMIZ. The city's outage map showed two separate incidents, with the main outage centered near N. Fairview Road and a second cluster reported south near Chapel Hill Road. Statewide, more than 21,000 customers were without power in Missouri on Thursday.
Boone County Sees a Dozen Separate Outages
Outside city limits, Boone Electric Cooperative's outage map showed 537 customers without power at the time of publication, down from 747 at 5:45 a.m. after 13 separate outages across Boone County on Thursday. Those outages were concentrated south of Columbia near Deer Park, with additional reported trouble spots near Hallsville off Route V, in Woodlandville, and west of Sturgeon and Ashland, per the same account from ABC 17 News. Boone Electric Cooperative, established in 1936 as Missouri's first rural electric cooperative, serves roughly 30,000 members and manages 3,200 miles of distribution lines across Boone County and five adjacent mid-Missouri counties.
City of Columbia Water & Light is the municipal utility within city limits.
Outages Ripple Across Surrounding Counties
The storm damage wasn't limited to Boone County. The Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives reported 228 customers without power in Gasconade County, 140 in Montgomery County, and 279 in Morgan County. Audrain, Camden, Moniteau, Benton, and Cooper counties each reported fewer than 75 outages, per the same tally cited in the outage report.
The storms come less than a month after a separate severe weather event on July 10 knocked out power to thousands of Boone County residents and brought down trees and power lines, according to 93.9 The Eagle. The recurrence underscores how vulnerable mid-Missouri's grid remains during peak summer storm months.
What Drivers Should Know at Dark Intersections
With outages reported along roads like Chapel Hill Road and N. Fairview Road, Missouri traffic guidance explains four-way-stop rules, including yielding to the vehicle on the right and proceeding with caution, according to guidance from Eng & Woods. Residents who spot downed lines, water main breaks, or need to report an outage should contact the City of Columbia through its utility services.
Rising Costs Complicate Storm Recovery
Behind the scenes, utility crews are contending with steep cost pressures that complicate storm restoration. Regional electric cooperatives in mid-Missouri have faced a 300% increase in the price of electrical transformers over the past decade, according to KWOS. Boone Electric Cooperative has also been investing in grid resilience, according to its own annual report.
Columbia Water & Light has likewise been discussed. The Columbia municipal utility gets energy from outside the city. Global Energy Monitor also lists the Columbia Municipal Power Plant.
