UPDATE: About 550 outages were reported as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to the Ameren Illinois website.

Power outages were reported for more than 40 percent of the city’s residences and businesses Friday afternoon during severe weather conditions, authorities said.

Nearly 4,700 Ameren Illinois outages were reported as of 1 p.m. Friday, according to the utility company’s website. Exterior portions of the campus that are dependent on the utility company were also affected, according to a university official.

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The National Weather Service reported on Thursday a storm warning for freezing rain and sleet to last through Friday evening.

Officer Randy Mathis of the Carbondale Police Department said Friday afternoon the department had received some calls for downed tree limbs on power lines and some power outages.

The outages had no effect on traffic lights as of 1 p.m. Friday, Mathis said.

Director of Plant and Service Operations Brad Dillard said exterior portions of the campus were without power, including Rainbow’s End Child Development Center, University Hall, Wall & Grand Apartments, the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center and the university’s northwest annex.

Dillard said the utility company could not immediately provide an estimated time for power restoration to the affected parts of the university.

Employees in buildings affected by the storm were allowed to go home early Friday afternoon, university spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith said.

This story will be updated.

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