Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Cook, Lake counties as ComEd preps for possible outages

COOK COUNTY, Ill. - ComEd is preparing for more severe weather that is expected to hit northern Illinois Wednesday evening.

Forecasts are projecting rain, lightning and wind gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour in some areas.

Just before 3 p.m., a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Cook County and Lake County. 

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ComEd opened its Emergency Operations Center Wednesday and says it is readying crews and equipment to meet any impact from the weather. 

"Extreme weather resulting from climate change continues to impact our service territory but we are ready to meet these challenges," said Dave Perez, senior vice president of Distribution Operations, ComEd. "Our customers and communities depend on reliable energy to power their lives and livelihoods and we will be working around the clock to restore anyone impacted by the weather moving into northern Illinois."

ComEd continues to remind 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.

If a customer is experiencing a power outage, ComEd says customers can text OUT to 26633 (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).