Illinois sends utility crews, National Guard to Florida

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago-area utility company is sending crews and contractors to Florida to help provide restoration assistance as the state braces for Hurricane Irma.

ComEd says in a Saturday statement that contractors have left and company crews plan to depart on Sunday. Company officials say they're preparing to stay for at least two weeks with the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people in Florida losing power.

The Illinois National Guard is also helping with relief and recovery efforts.

Hurricane Irma has already left more than 20 people dead in its wake across the Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center says the eye of the storm is expected to strike the Florida Keys, southwestern Florida and the Tampa Bay region starting Sunday.