Utility workers restored power to most Carbondale homes Monday, and an Ameren CIPS spokesman said he expected the job to be complete by late tonight.

Spokesman Leigh Morris said crews have scrambled to finish 24 hours earlier than expected. As of press time Monday, 343 customers in the 62901 ZIP code remained without electricity, according to the Ameren Web site. At the height of the outage Sunday morning, 4,349 customers had no power.

Morris said Jackson County was the hardest-hit area in terms of power outages. Standing water, fallen trees and hard-to-access areas were among the biggest problems, Morris said. He said a crew of more than 780 workers and two storm trailers containing equipment has helped restore power sooner than expected. Instead of linemen continually having to go back to the supply yards and operating centers, supplies are brought to them, Morris said.

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“(The trailers]) save a lot of time and effort. They’ve really proven their worth this year,” Morris said.

Residents say the outages have cause substantial inconveniences, but they have found ways to cope.

Rachel Danklefsen, a senior from Lake Villa studying hospitality and tourism administration, said she had several problems Sunday night including no hot water, refrigeration or Internet access. Several of her classes have online coursework, which she had to complete in the university’s computer lab, she said.

“Hot water is huge,” Danklefsen said. “I had to shower at the Rec Center.”

University spokesman Rod Sievers said several buildings, including the Northwest Annex and baseball clubhouse, remained without power Monday, but are expected to have it turned on by today.

“People who work in those buildings … they were going to try and relocate them and find other places for them to go and be able to do their work,” Sievers said.

Assistant City Manager Kevin Baity said employees of the Public Works Department would be out in full force to pick up debris and remove fallen trees.

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“All of our crews are out acting in the function of trying to get everything cleaned up. All the streets are opened,” Baity said.

Debris pickup began Monday and will coincide with regular trash pickups, Baity said. Residents must move limbs and debris to the curb to have them removed.

Elizabeth Macwatt, a senior from Chicago studying psychology, said while the outage was an inconvenience, the staff at St. Germain Square made her Sunday night better than expected. Macwatt said her food was spoiled and her stove was inoperable, but the staff made up for the loss. Don and Delayna Beattie, “parents” of the complex, hold a Sunday brunch for the tenants and when the power went out, they took it upon themselves to feed the residents, Macwatt said.

“Don and Delayna had a big bonfire and served us food. It was really great,” Macwatt said.

Madeleine Leroux contributed to this report.

Justin Lange can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 258 or [email protected].