ComEd crews are working around the clock to restore power across northern Illinois following this week’s severe storms, which brought wind gusts of up to 96 MPH and potential tornadoes that downed trees, power lines and utility poles. A new line of storms moved through the service territory Wednesday morning, adding over 35,000 customer outages and delaying restoration efforts already underway in the south region. In total, the two storms have caused nearly 410,000 customer outages across ComEd’s service territory and over 275,000 customers have been restored.
To support these efforts, our sister utilities from the East Coast are providing mutual assistance, sending more than 150 overhead lineworkers and control room operators to help with restoration.
Based on current conditions, Wednesday morning’s storms have not impacted ComEd’s restoration estimates, and the company still anticipates restoring approximately 80% of outages by noon on Aug. 13 and approximately 99% by 11 p.m. on Aug. 15. However, these estimates could be affected by any additional severe weather today or tomorrow, and ComEd will provide updated restoration times as conditions permit.
“More than 4,000 ComEd personnel, crews and contractors remain in the field around the clock, assessing damage, repairing equipment and restoring service as safely and quickly as possible — and now a new storm has moved through our region adding to the challenge our teams are facing. I want to thank every one of our employees and contractors for their tireless dedication and sacrifice this summer; their commitment to our customers has been extraordinary. I also want to thank our customers, especially those in the southern region who have been hit time and time again this season, for their patience and resilience. We know how difficult and exhausting it is to face storm after storm, and we will not rest until every customer has their power back,” said David Perez, ComEd’s executive vice president and COO.
Restoration Priorities
ComEd crews work on restoring power to customers in the following order:
- Downed live wires or potentially life-threatening situations. High-voltage transmission lines and equipment, to restore service to the largest number of affected customers.
- Critical public health and safety facilities, like hospitals, police and fire stations, and water treatment plants.
- Major distribution lines and high-density housing.
- Any remaining smaller neighborhoods and individual homes that have not been restored by prior repair activities.
Stay Safe
Public safety is paramount, and ComEd encourages customers to take the following precautions:
- If a downed power line is spotted, immediately call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661). Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237).
- Never approach a downed power line. Always assume a power line is energized and extremely dangerous.
- In the event of an outage, do not approach ComEd crews working to restore power to ask about restoration times. Crews may be working on live electrical equipment, and the perimeter of the work zone may be hazardous.
- For the latest outage and restoration information, visit: ComEd.com/OutageMap.
ComEd urges customers to contact the company immediately if they experience a power outage. Customers can text OUT to 26633 (COMED) to report an outage and receive restoration information and follow the company on X @ComEd or on Facebook at Facebook.com/ComEd. Customers can also call 1-800 EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661), or report outages via the website at ComEd.com/report. Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237).
With ComEd’s new Outage Tracker, customers can report outages, check estimated time of restoration, view crew status updates, and explore: ComEd.com/OutageTracker.
ComEd’s mobile app for iPhone and Android® smart phones gives customers the ability to report power outages and manage their accounts; download the app at ComEd.com/app.
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ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 company and one of the nation’s largest utility companies, serving nearly 11 million electricity and natural gas customers. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information, visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube. |
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