ST. LOUIS – Nearly a week after deadly tornadoes ripped through Missouri, thousands are still without power. And while Ameren Missouri crews are working around the clock, frustration is growing for those still in the dark.

In the heart of north St. Louis, the work is far from mover. Ameren Missouri crews are still on the ground, restoring power one pole, block, and home at a time.

“As you look around, the devastation is tremendous. Where we’re standing is basically in the epicenter…of the tornado,” Amanda Brittingham, Ameren Missouri’s director of customer care, said.

Brittingham said linemen are working 17-hour shifts.

“They’re out in the elements. They’re tired. They have to keep their mind sharp. And so, we make sure, just from that safety perspective, to make sure we get them seven hours of rest every day,” she said.

For nearly a week, residents in the most devastated parts of the city are living without lights, air conditioning, or a way to cook. But among the hardship, there is hope.

“We are charging phones. But the lack of power has been a major detriment to the community,” resident Rhonda Jones said. “All the food has spoiled, and we have been providing food two times a day here at our pop-up tornado response.”

Just a few doors down from the utility trucks, neighbors are stepping up in big ways. Jay Johnson, the owner of Kings Auto Repair, rented a generator, not to reopen for business, but to feed families in the neighborhood.

“We’re here to serve the community right now,” Johnson said. “We’re just trying to make sure everyone gets a hot meal, cold water, necessities for home, and, you know, a microwave, a charging station, whatever we can help with while people are without power.”

Ameren Missouri urges families still in the dark to report their outage again, especially if the rest of the block has power. Crews have been on site since the storm hit nearly a week ago. At the height of the storm, 200,000 customers across Ameren Missouri’s service territory didn’t have power. Power has since been restored to about 90% of those customers. A spokesman for the utility said they hope to have power restored for all customers by Sunday.