​Company encourages customers to follow power line and flooding safety tips

CHICAGO (July 21, 2017) – ComEd is closely monitoring and preparing for severe weather that may affect parts of the northern Illinois region starting Friday. Current forecasts call for heavy rain, lightning and possible wind gusts of up to 45 mph. ComEd is proactively opening its emergency response center, increasing crew staffing and is readying equipment to respond quickly in the event of outages.

"This is the second round of storms to move through the area this week and more severe weather is predicated for Friday and into the evening. Our team is taking precautions to minimize the impact of the storms on our system," said Terence R. Donnelly, executive vice president and chief operating officer, ComEd. "We implemented our storm preparedness actions with increased staffing to enable shift and safe response to impacted customers."

Public safety is paramount during storms, and ComEd encourages the public to remember to take the following precautions:

• If you encounter a downed power line, 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, please 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.
• Please do not shovel snow onto any ComEd equipment as it can damage the equipment.

Storms are also bringing heavy rain and possible flooding. ComEd recommends that customers take the following precautions before entering a flooded basement:

• Customers should call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661) to disconnect power before entering a flooded basement.
• Never wade into a flooded basement unless all electricity has been disconnected (such as power that supplies sump pumps, freezers, etc.). Water may be in contact with electrical outlets, appliances or cords.
• If you are experiencing a power outage, do not wade into a flooded basement. Power may be restored while you are in the flooded basement and the motors on appliances may be submerged.
• Never attempt to turn off power at the breaker box if you must stand in water to do so.
  
  ComEd urges customers to contact the utility immediately if they experience a power outage.  Customers can text OUT to 26633 (COMED) to report their outage and receive restoration information, and can follow the company on Twitter @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 www.comed.com/report. Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237). 
  
  ComEd has an interactive outage map on its website at www.comed.com/map, which allows customers to easily find information on the location and size of outages and get estimated power restoration times. Additionally, ComEd has introduced a mobile app for iPhone and Android® smart phones that gives customers the ability to report power outages and manage their accounts; download the app at www.comed.com/app.​   
  

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  Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 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, Twitter and YouTube.