96K ComEd Customers Without Power Due To Storm In Chicago Area

ILLINOIS — More than 90,000 Chicago-area residents are without power Friday as the winter storm has not only created havoc for travelers and those attempting to get around their communities, but for those now dealing with not having electricity.

As of just after 9 a.m. Friday, ComEd announced that 96,000 customers were without power due to heavy and blowing snow that moved into the greater Chicago area in the early morning hours of Friday. Blizzard-like conditions are expected to continue throughout the day and into Saturday with winds reaching speeds of between 40-50 mph., are expected to create periods of blowing and drifting snow, forecasters predict.

Of the more than 50,000 residents without power, ComEd announced that as of Friday morning, 73,422 of the customers reside within Cook County. Another 8,600 customers live in DuPage County, 10,000 in Lake County, 3,400 in Will County and nearly 1,000 more residents in Grundy County, the utility said.

On its website, ComEd posted the following message: “We continue to track the severe weather in our area. We will provide updated information as often as possible. ComEd is increasing crews and necessary equipment and will be deployed to assess the damage and begin restoring power as soon as conditions are safe.

“Never approach a downed power line. Always assume a power line is energized and extremely dangerous. To sign up for Outage Alerts, please text ADD OUTAGE to 26633.”

The snowstorm resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations Friday morning at O'Hare and Midway airports, and winter storm warnings were in effect across the area, with snowfall predictions of up to a foot in some parts of Chicagoland.

Area residents who are without heat or power should find a warming center near them.