Crews in final stages of repairs following worst storms since 2020 and remain committed to completing service restoration for all customers
ComEd crews have nearly completed the restoration of power to customers impacted by multiple rounds of severe storms that moved through northern Illinois beginning Wednesday afternoon. With 99% of affected customers now restored, crews are in the final stages of repairs and remain committed to completing service restoration for all remaining customers.
Multiple bands of severe weather moved through ComEd's northern Illinois service territory on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing intense rain, frequent lightning, and high wind gusts — with speeds reaching roughly 80 mph at peak — causing significant damage to ComEd's infrastructure and resulting in widespread outages across the service territory. At least two tornadoes were confirmed on Thursday, including one in Streator, Illinois, approximately 100 miles southwest of Chicago, and another near Dwight, Illinois, about 80 miles southwest of Chicago, with additional damage assessments ongoing.
Large trees fell across equipment and blocked access to neighborhoods with restoration needs, and hundreds of utility poles were broken and had to be completely replaced. That type of work is complex and takes more time to do safely, even with crews working around the clock. In total, crews replaced nearly 500 poles and used more than 295,000 feet of cable wire during the restoration effort.
Across the two days of severe weather, more than 674,600 ComEd customers experienced outages. Late Saturday evening, isolated thunderstorms produced localized strong wind gusts that caused additional tree and limb damage, resulting in an additional 6,425 outages.
"Our crews have worked tirelessly — around the clock and under challenging conditions — to safely restore power to our customers, and their dedication throughout this storm event has been extraordinary," said David Perez, executive vice president and COO of ComEd. "We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and commitment over the duration of this event. We also want to sincerely thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we worked through the most significant storm damage our service territory has experienced since the 2020 Derecho. We will not rest until the final customers are restored."
More than 3,000 ComEd employees and 2,200 contractors were mobilized during the peak of the response, supported by roughly 400 mutual assistance personnel who arrived Friday to bolster ComEd staff and contractors in their restoration efforts.
Public Safety Reminders
Public safety remains paramount, and ComEd encourages customers to take the following precautions:
- If a downed power line is spotted, please 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.
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 can 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 Outage Tracker, customers can report outages, check estimated time of restoration, view crew status updates, and explore our outage map. Visit 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.
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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ComEd Media Relations
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