CHICAGO (April 30, 2022) – With severe weather forecasted across northern Illinois starting Saturday afternoon, ComEd is opening its Emergency Operations Center and getting equipment and additional crews in place to respond to potential power outages. Forecasts project strong thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds in excess of 50 miles per hour with the possibility of isolated tornadoes in some areas.

"We are positioning our people and equipment to respond quickly and safely to any power outages that result from this storm," said Terence Donnelly, president and COO of ComEd. "We continue to make investments to harden the power grid and improve resilience to reduce the impacts a storm like this can have on our customers."

Since it started smart grid investments in 2012, ComEd has improved overall reliability across northern Illinois communities and avoided more than 17 million customer interruptions. ComEd reported earlier this year that for the first three months of 2022, it delivered its most reliable electric service on record for any first quarter in the company's more than century-long history, even as utilities are increasingly challenged by severe weather associated with climate change.

When responding to power outages caused by storms, ComEd's priority is to restore critical facilities such as police and fire stations, nursing homes and hospitals first, followed by work that will restore power to the greatest number of customers.

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 extremely dangerous and energized.
• 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. Additionally, for the safety of themselves and the public, crews are practicing social distancing.

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 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 ComEd.com/report. Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237). 

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's interactive outage map on its website at ComEd.com/map allows customers to easily find information on the location and size of outages and get estimated power restoration times.