Customers are urged to continue reporting downed wires and find relief from the heat

CHICAGO – (August 11, 2021) – ComEd has restored power to more than 317,000 customers throughout its service area. Approximately 290,000 ComEd customers lost power Tuesday evening and an additional 95,000 lost power Wednesday morning, for a total of 385,000 outages since Tuesday night as two waves of severe thunderstorms swept through northern Illinois accompanied by strong wind gusts of 35 to 60 MPH that downed trees, branches and powerlines throughout the region. Additional strong storms are forecasted this evening and could impact restoration work.

After proactively opening its Emergency Operations Center Tuesday, ComEd crews immediately responded to power interruptions Tuesday evening and continue working to restore affected customers. Outages are concentrated north of I-80. In addition, 665 mutual assistance utility workers are being deployed to support ComEd crews and expedite restoration efforts. ComEd expects all remaining outages to be restored by 3pm on Friday, August 13 at the latest.

ComEd prioritizes attention on repairs that will bring back the greatest number of customers, and

focuses on critical services, such as law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals and senior centers. Crews then move to restoration of individual outages.

ComEd offers the following tips and information for customers to stay safe following severe weather:

• If you encounter a downed power line, immediately call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON-1 (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.
• Check on elderly and other family members and neighbors to ensure their safety and make alternate arrangements in the event of an outage.
• Given extreme temperatures in the region, customers are reminded to take precautions to protect themselves from the heat and access local cooling centers if needed.
• Most refrigerators will keep food fresh for 48 hours if doors are kept closed.

Customers are encouraged to contact ComEd immediately if they are experiencing a power outage or have a safety concern. Customers can sign up for Outage Alerts at ComEd.com/Alerts or text OUT to 26633 to report their outage and receive restoration information about when their power may be restored.

ComEd also offers a mobile app for iPhone® and Android™® smart phones that gives customers the ability to report power outages and manage their accounts. In addition, customers can report outages through ComEd's Facebook and Twitter pages, or by calling 1-800 EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661). Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237).