ComEd Restoring Power in Wake of Thunderstorms, Second Round of Severe Storms in Three Days
ComEd crews are working to restore power to more than 370,000 customers in the wake of a dangerous line of thunderstorms that swept through northern Illinois this morning -- just hours after ComEd had completed restoration of service to customers impacted by a severe storm on Sunday. Wind gusts of up to 96 MPH -- and potential tornadoes -- downed trees, power lines and utility poles throughout ComEd’s northern Illinois region. Currently, there are more than 257,000 customers without electric service. Based on current conditions, ComEd estimates that approximately 80% of outages will be restored by noon on Aug. 13 and approximately 99% by 11 p.m. on Aug. 15.
“Nearly 3,000 ComEd employees and contractors are in the field assessing damage, repairing equipment and restoring service as safely and quickly as possible. While crews and equipment, including poles, cable wire and transformers were pre-positioned ahead of the storm, damage across the region is extensive,” said David Perez, ComEd’s executive vice president and COO.
The largest impacts from Tuesday's storms were concentrated in ComEd's south region, where crews are dealing with downed trees, broken poles, and damaged power lines requiring extensive repairs. Hardest-hit areas include Homewood, Chicago Heights, Lansing and Joliet, among others. The National Weather Service is forecasting another round of storms for the ComEd region on Wednesday.
