Power outages blanket Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois Thursday morning

UPDATED 6:50 a.m.

Tens and thousands of people in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois are still without power this morning.

Shortly after 6 a.m. AmerenUE reported all its customers in Stoddard and Pemiscot counties - 7,375 and 7,651 respectively - did not have electricity and only 1 percent of customers in New Madrid County, or 5,027 customers, had been restored. Ninety percent, or 8,055 customers, in Scott County were still in the dark. Mississippi County had 83 percent, or 4,351 customers, without power.

Other counties without power include Dunklin, with 33 percent, or 1,080 customers, and Cape Girardeau, with 2 percent, or 591.

"Hundreds of wires and poles have been downed by thick ice," the AmerenUE website said in a warning to customers. "Resources are working to restore power. Due to severity of damage, customers could be without power for 5 days or longer. Make appropriate arrangements to protect homes and businesses."

Towns like Sikeston, Chaffee and Benton were still almost completely dark.

SEMO Electric Cooperative, which serves 15,800 customers throughout Southeast Missouri, had 9,200 without power.

Jackson Utilities and Public Works and Black River Electric Cooperative reported no power outages.