Power Outage Update

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Updated: 6:31 PM Jul 13, 2011 Power Outage Update UPDATE: As of noon Wednesday around 7,500 people are still without power in the Stateline. Posted: 10:49 AM Jul 12, 2011

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ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- There are still about 7,500 people in the dark in Winnebago and Boone counties at this hour. ComEd says it will be at least another day before everybody gets their power back on.

There are still about 175,000 ComEd customers in Northern Illinois who are powerless.

The utility says more than 650 repair crews are working on the problem, but some customers could be without power until the weekend.

ComEd has brought in crews from as far away as Pennsylvania and Louisiana to help with repairs.

In Machesney Park, village officials say rock river disposal will pick up tree limbs and storm debris with the regular trash on Friday. Limbs must be less than 4 inches in diameter and three feet long. Branches need to be bundled and no less than 4 feet in length.

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- As many waking up this morning are still in the dark from yesterday's storms, ComEd crews continue to work to restore power to the 13 thousand people still without power in the Stateline.

High winds quickly brought down trees and knocked down power lines around seven yesterday morning. About 50 thousand customers were initially affected.

Extra crews have been called in from surrounding areas and will be working overtime to get everyone restored. Teams are being spread throughout Northern Illinois including Chicago where half a million people remain without power.

Local Resident Barbara Clingempeel said, "Its better than okay its not the winter we will all get through this if you kind of watch out for each other: that's what we are meant to do. That’s what I want to do. [We] will survive it; this is mild what other are going through."

Those who don't have power also don't have air conditioning. Several cooling centers have opened throughout the region. The Rockford Police Department will also have extra police officers on hand to assist at intersections were the lights are out. Many of those intersections are on the northeast side, and it could be a while before the lights start turning green.

Supt. of Streets and Transportation Mark Stockman said, “I would encourage everyone to drive appropriately in the coming days. There are still trees hanging in the street and a lot of debris on the ground. Especially at night, visibility is going to be an issue because that area is out of power at least for now."

From the AP: Thousands of ComEd customers still without power

CHICAGO (AP) -- Repair crews from Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan are helping workers in northern Illinois as they try to get the power back on for thousands of ComEd customers.

A record 868,000 homes and businesses were left in the dark after strong winds and driving rains pounded Illinois on Monday.

By Tuesday morning, ComEd spokesman Tony Hernandez said that 367,000 customers remained without power. That includes about 205,000 customers in Chicago's north suburbs, which were hit hardest by the storms.

ComEd says about 900 repair crews were working to restore service, including those brought in from other states.

Latest Comments

Posted by: sparky on Jul 14, 2011 at 05:59 PM

Since our monopoly(comed) is so unreliable, we have to make sure we have a generator to backfeed our service. I have a 5000 watt generator with a 30 amp plug and it runs my whole house. Lights, TV, Fridge, Freezer. Be proactive and buy a generator instead of reactive like comed is.

Posted by: patricia on Jul 14, 2011 at 06:10 AM

My power was turn on wed.1:30pm you must understand there were a lot of power outage and over all i think com ed and the other that came from other states to help out did there best to get all of us back on. So Thank you com ed and all who drove in to help, come on people, give them a break, yes it was a inconvenience, i made it thru and so will you

Posted by: christine on Jul 14, 2011 at 02:50 AM

You cant have it both ways. If they call in 1800 crews instead of 900, then they are doubling the amount of money they are spending on getting the power back on and who do you think they are going to pass that off on? They have been asking to upgrade everything for a while and the state hasnt wanted to allow the increase. You cant have the brand new up to date equipment but tell them, oh but we arent paying for it.

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FAMILY DISASTER PLAN
Families should be prepared for all hazards that could affect their area. NOAA’s National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the American Red Cross urge every family to develop a family disaster plan. Where will your family be when disaster strikes? They could be anywhere at work, at school, or in the car. How will you find each other? Will you know if your children are safe? Disaster may force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services water, gas, electricity, or telephones were cut off?

Follow these basic steps to develop a family disaster plan...

Gather information about hazards.
Contact your local National Weather Service office, emergency management office, and American Red Cross chapter. Find out what type of disasters could occur and how you should respond. Learn your community’s warning signals and evacuation plans.

Meet with your family to create a plan.
Discuss the information you have gathered. Pick two places to meet: a spot outside your home for an emergency, such as fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Choose an out-of-state friend as your family check-in contact for everyone to call if the family gets separated. Discuss what you would do if advised to evacuate.

Implement your plan.
(1) Post emergency telephone numbers by phones;(2) Install safety features in your house, such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers; (3) Inspect your home for potential hazards (such as items that can move, fall, break, or catch fire) and correct them; (4) Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR and first aid; how to use a fire extinguisher; and how and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home; (5) Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services number; (6) Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least three days. Assemble a disaster supplies kit with items you may need in case of an evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as backpacks or duffle bags. Keep important family documents in a waterproof container. Keep a smaller disaster supplies kit in the trunk of your car.

A DISASTER SUPPLIES KIT SHOULD INCLUDE: A 3-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food that won’t spoil one change of clothing and footwear per person one blanket or sleeping bag per person a first aid kit, including prescription medicines emergency tools, including a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and a portable radio, flashlight, and plenty of extra batteries an extra set of car keys and a credit card or cash special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.

Practice and maintain your plan. Ask questions to make sure your family remembers meeting places, phone numbers, and safety rules. Conduct drills. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries two times each year. Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s instructions. Replace stored water and food every 6 months. Contact your local National Weather Service office, American Red Cross chapter, or local office of emergency management for a copy of “Your Family Disaster Plan” (L-191/ARC4466).