With Monday's storms knocking out power to more than 868,000 customers, ComEd took a triage approach in its effort to bring things back to normal.
The utility targets initial restoration efforts at two top priorities: Lines affecting the most customers, and emergency sites — police stations, hospitals and the like.
That means smaller outages, which accounted for most of the power losses Monday, are last to be fixed, said ComEd spokeswoman Arlana Johnson. In those cases, customers could be without power for days.
On Monday afternoon, ComEd had 480 crews working to restore lines, and contractors from neighboring states had been called in to help. Crews of two or three workers each work around the clock, said Alicia Zatkowski of ComEd.
Lightning was a major culprit behind the outages Monday, striking electric lines, poles and other equipment, Zatkowski said. Fallen trees also damaged equipment and knocked out power.
If power has been restored to your neighbors but not your home, call ComEd at 800-334-7661. People are also urged to call if they see a damaged power line.
Customers can find out roughly how long they'll be without power through ComEd's service center at comed.com/sites/customerservice/Pages/outagealerts.aspx.
Estimated times on that site can change because crews sometimes find that wires and equipment are more damaged than expected and take more time to fix, Zatkowski said.
ComEd has added employees to phone lines to meet heightened demand. The company is also using Twitter to reach customers.
Power outage questions and answers: How to get through a power outage
By Cynthia Dizikes and Alissa Groeninger
If you weren't ready this time around, here are some tips for weathering the next blackout:
What should I do about downed power lines and trees?
If a power line is down, don't go near it. Call ComEd at 800-EDISON-1. Check with your local government on what to do about downed trees.
What can I do about not having lights?
Use battery-powered lights; do not use candles. If using a generator, don't run it inside or near windows or vents that could allow carbon monoxide to waft indoors.
It's hot. Where can I get some relief?
For the nearest cooling center, go to Keep Cool Illinois at illinois.gov/keepcool/pages/default.aspx. You can also call the Illinois Department of Human Services hotline at 800-843-6154. Call your local emergency management agency for cooling-bus locations.If you stay home, go to the basement or lowest level, wear lightweight, light-colored clothing and drink lots of water.
What about food?
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Once the temperature in the fridge or freezer rises above 40 degrees, the food inside is good for only about two hours. Consider using a food thermometer because some spoiled food may look and smell fine.
And my phone?
Cordless phones that require electricity will not work, so use a standard telephone handset or cellphone. Consider buying battery-powered chargers or extra phone batteries.
How can I help the elderly?
Check on them often. During extended outages, move them to a cooling center or bus if that's an option. Make sure they have water and medicine.
What should I have on hand during a power outage?
An emergency kit including non-perishable food, at least one gallon of water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights, batteries and extra supplies of prescription medicine.
Any other tips?
Remember to maintain food and water supplies for pets. Keep car gas tanks at least half full. Know where the electric garage door manual-release lever is and how to operate it, and have extra cash on hand, since ATMs may not work.
SOURCES: American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, ComEd , Illinois Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The utility targets initial restoration efforts at two top priorities: Lines affecting the most customers, and emergency sites — police stations, hospitals and the like.
That means smaller outages, which accounted for most of the power losses Monday, are last to be fixed, said ComEd spokeswoman Arlana Johnson. In those cases, customers could be without power for days.
On Monday afternoon, ComEd had 480 crews working to restore lines, and contractors from neighboring states had been called in to help. Crews of two or three workers each work around the clock, said Alicia Zatkowski of ComEd.
Lightning was a major culprit behind the outages Monday, striking electric lines, poles and other equipment, Zatkowski said. Fallen trees also damaged equipment and knocked out power.
If power has been restored to your neighbors but not your home, call ComEd at 800-334-7661. People are also urged to call if they see a damaged power line.
Customers can find out roughly how long they'll be without power through ComEd's service center at comed.com/sites/customerservice/Pages/outagealerts.aspx.
Estimated times on that site can change because crews sometimes find that wires and equipment are more damaged than expected and take more time to fix, Zatkowski said.
ComEd has added employees to phone lines to meet heightened demand. The company is also using Twitter to reach customers.
Power outage questions and answers: How to get through a power outage
By Cynthia Dizikes and Alissa Groeninger
If you weren't ready this time around, here are some tips for weathering the next blackout:
What should I do about downed power lines and trees?
If a power line is down, don't go near it. Call ComEd at 800-EDISON-1. Check with your local government on what to do about downed trees.
What can I do about not having lights?
Use battery-powered lights; do not use candles. If using a generator, don't run it inside or near windows or vents that could allow carbon monoxide to waft indoors.
It's hot. Where can I get some relief?
For the nearest cooling center, go to Keep Cool Illinois at illinois.gov/keepcool/pages/default.aspx. You can also call the Illinois Department of Human Services hotline at 800-843-6154. Call your local emergency management agency for cooling-bus locations.If you stay home, go to the basement or lowest level, wear lightweight, light-colored clothing and drink lots of water.
What about food?
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Once the temperature in the fridge or freezer rises above 40 degrees, the food inside is good for only about two hours. Consider using a food thermometer because some spoiled food may look and smell fine.
And my phone?
Cordless phones that require electricity will not work, so use a standard telephone handset or cellphone. Consider buying battery-powered chargers or extra phone batteries.
How can I help the elderly?
Check on them often. During extended outages, move them to a cooling center or bus if that's an option. Make sure they have water and medicine.
What should I have on hand during a power outage?
An emergency kit including non-perishable food, at least one gallon of water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights, batteries and extra supplies of prescription medicine.
Any other tips?
Remember to maintain food and water supplies for pets. Keep car gas tanks at least half full. Know where the electric garage door manual-release lever is and how to operate it, and have extra cash on hand, since ATMs may not work.
SOURCES: American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, ComEd , Illinois Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency.