Just days after tornadoes and gusty winds knocked out power to thousands of Chicago-area residents, ComEd says that it is positioning equipment and mobilizing additional crews in case more severe weather arrives Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
According to the utility company, they are preparing for a forecast that includes heavy rain and gusty winds, along with frequent lightning and large hail, all of which could impact the area’s power grid.
Officials with the company say that more than 90,000 customers lost power during Friday’s severe storms, with power restored to those individuals over the weekend.
“After a significant effort to restore our communities to normal, we are geared up for this next round of storms,” VP of Distribution Operations Dave Perez said in a statement. “Back-to-back storms like these are becoming more frequent due to the impacts of climate change, and we appreciate our customers’ patience as we work to restore power.”
Several rounds of severe weather are possible both Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, with the main threats of gusty winds and large hail both possible, along with isolated tornadoes.
As Tuesday’s weather system approaches, ComEd is encouraging customers to take precautions, including:
-Calling the company at 1-800-EDISON1 if a downed power line is spotted. Spanish-speaking customers can call 1-800-95-LUCES.
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-Always assume downed power lines are extremely dangerous and energized.
-In the event of an outage, do not approach crews to ask about restoration times. Crews may be working on live equipment and the perimeter of their work zone could be hazardous.
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-Customers can text OUT to 26633 to report an outage and to receive restoration information.
