THE WORD
- More than 525,000 ComEd customers lost power after Monday night’s severe storms.
- The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes across northern Illinois, along with widespread straight-line wind damage.
- ComEd says more than 85% of affected customers had power restored within approximately 36 hours.
- More than 2,300 personnel were deployed across northern Illinois to support restoration efforts.
- Communities including Crete, Matteson, Country Club Hills, University Park, Homewood, Harvey and Oak Lawn were among the hardest hit.
- ComEd Care Crews have been distributing supplies and offering support to residents in impacted communities.
- Chicago comedian T. Murph shared that he and his two youngest children were caught in a tornado while traveling on the highway.
Northern Illinois continues picking up the pieces after a devastating round of severe storms and confirmed tornadoes swept across the region, leaving neighborhoods damaged, thousands without electricity and families sharing stories of survival.
The storms produced destructive winds, heavy rain, hail and multiple tornadoes that moved through communities across Chicagoland. Large trees were uprooted, homes sustained damage, utility poles were broken and debris blocked streets throughout the region.
According to statements shared by ComEd, more than 525,000 customers lost electricity following Monday night’s storms. The utility company described the event as one of the most significant severe-weather restoration efforts in recent years.
ComEd said the storms included several confirmed tornadoes and pockets of straight-line winds that caused widespread damage to its electrical system. Crews have been repairing damaged power lines, replacing broken utility poles and rebuilding infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed.
The company reported that power had been restored to more than 85% of affected customers within roughly 36 hours. However, ComEd acknowledged that many residents were still waiting for service to return in areas where the damage was more severe.
Some of the hardest-hit communities included Crete, Matteson, Country Club Hills, University Park, Homewood, Harvey and Oak Lawn. Other communities across northern Illinois also experienced downed trees, damaged power lines and extended outages.
ComEd said more than 2,300 personnel were deployed across the region to assist with restoration efforts. Crews have continued working around the clock to assess damage, remove hazards and rebuild damaged infrastructure before electricity can be safely restored.
“Our crews are working 24/7 to restore power to more than 525,000 customers impacted by Monday night’s severe storms, including several confirmed tornadoes.”
The utility company explained that restoration can become more complicated when severe damage affects dozens of communities at the same time. In some areas, roads must first be cleared of fallen trees and other debris before repair crews can reach damaged electrical equipment.
ComEd has also deployed its Care Crews to assist residents who are still without power. The crews have distributed supplies at locations in Crete, Country Club Hills and Waukegan while restoration work continues.
Residents were encouraged to monitor updates through ComEd’s outage map and outage tracker.
While utility crews work to restore service, many Illinois residents are reflecting on how dangerous the storms became.
Chicago comedian T. Murph shared an emotional message after revealing that he and his two youngest children were caught in a tornado while driving on the highway.
“Faking composure so they wouldn’t panic took every single ounce of strength I had. Thank you GOD for protecting us.”
T. Murph said he never expected to experience something like that and expressed gratitude that he and his children made it through the storm safely.
His reaction resonated with people online and highlighted the personal impact of the severe weather. Behind the outage numbers are families dealing with fear, damaged property and uncertainty as recovery efforts continue.
Residents are being reminded to stay away from downed power lines and report dangerous conditions immediately. ComEd customers can continue checking online for updated restoration estimates as crews work to safely restore power throughout northern Illinois.
Sources: ComEd Facebook statements and T. Murph’s social media statement.
