During the hours-long power outage Tuesday, June 19, numerous traffic control devices were down, leaving Ames’ drivers and pedestrians at the mercy of their own judgments.

Ames police were quick to react to the outage, replacing failed stoplights with stop signs and directing traffic in more complex intersections. The plan seemed successful, as Ames experienced only one reported accident.

The accident involved a minor vehicle collision that occurred on the intersection of Lincoln Way and State Avenue. Jim Robinson, commander of Ames Police Criminal Investigations, said one other vehicle incident was called in, but the vehicles were gone by the time the officer arrived at the scene, and no report was filed.

“The community handled it very well,” Robinson said. “You can tell how well they handled it from the amount of incidents reported.”