ComEd urges customers to report power outages and downed wires, exercise caution

CHICAGO (Nov. 4, 2022) – With severe weather expected across northern Illinois starting Saturday morning, ComEd is opening its Emergency Operations Center and getting equipment and additional crews in place to be prepared to respond to potential power outages. Forecasts project wind gusts of more than 40 miles per hour in some areas and possible thunderstorms.

"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 recognize that any outage is inconvenient for our customers, which is why we continue to make investments to harden the power grid and improve resilience to the impacts of storms, especially as they become more frequent and severe due to climate change."

ComEd is delivering the highest levels of service in its history for families and businesses across northern Illinois. As a result of smart grid investments started in 2011, ComEd has avoided more than 18 million individual customer outages, saving more than $3 billion in outage-related costs. For the first nine months of 2022, ComEd delivered its most reliable electric service in the company's more than century-long history, with more than 3.6 million of its more than 4 million total customers experiencing less than one outage on average.

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 repairs 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 at ComEd.com/map allows customers to easily find information on the location and size of outages and get estimated power restoration times.