ComEd working to restore power to some 87,000 after recent storms
ComEd officials said about 87,000 homes remain without power Thursday after crippling storms Wednesday evening caused widespread damage and flooding in the Chicago area.
Also, officials from the National Weather Service is still trying to determine if a tornado touched down in Downers Grove as residents believe.
The flooded Stevenson Expressway reopened at about 4:40 a.m. after flood water receded, just in time for the start of rush hour.
ComEd spokeswoman Krissy Posey said 28,000 people remain without power in the western suburbs near Maywood, while only 7,000 resident remain powerless in the northern suburbs.
She added about 52,000 are still powerless near Chicago and the southern suburbs, adding that ComEd hopes to have 90 percent of the people back online by late Thursday.
The line of severe storms that swept through the Chicago area Wednesday left behind widely scattered damage from house fires and flooding, and tied up traffic on area roadways as water closed a couple of expressways for hours.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning Wednesday afternoon for eastern and southern Cook County and a tornado watch for most of northern Illinois, including Lake, DuPage, McHenry and Cook counties. There were reports of funnel clouds in the Southern suburbs but no confirmed touchdowns, according to the National Weather Service. Sirens could be heard in various parts of Chicago.
A flash flood warning was in effect until 5:30 a.m. Thursday for DuPage, DeKalb, Kane and northern Cook counties.
The storm produced winds reaching up to 80 mph and caused 500 flights to be canceled at O'Hare and two-hour delays at Midway.
ComEd officials said an estimated 230,000 customers lost power at the height of the storms, but that 450 crews were working throughout the night to restore power as fast as possible.
Metra spokesman Tom Miller said the entire train system shut down during the storm because of the strong winds and lightning. Metra's website reported delays on some lines of up to 172 minutes.
While most North suburban fire and police departments reported little rain and no problems from the storm, damage was more severe to the south.
The Eisenhower Expressway between Des Plaines and Harlem avenues, and the Stevenson Expressway between Damen and Cicero avenues were closed in both directions for hours because of standing water, causing traffic to back up for miles.
High winds caused a semitrailer truck to flip over around 6:15 p.m. on the Reagan Tollway just east of Route 83, the Oak Brook Fire Department said. The driver was taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove with non-life-threatening injuries. All westbound lanes were blocked until about 8 p.m. when crews moved the truck to the shoulder.
At Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, customers were directed into hallways and other protected areas on the first level between 5:15 and 6:45 p.m. People were free to leave if they chose, General Manager Marc Strich said.
Lombard firefighters received nearly 30 calls for service after the storm including a house fire, Acting Batallion Chief Jeff Holst said. Authorities believe lightning struck the single-family home on the 2100 block of South Vista, causing the roof and second floor to ignite. Oakbrook Terrace and York Center firefighters responded quickly and assisted Lombard firefighters in the blaze.
Oakbrook Terrace firefighters had to rescue three people from a flooded vehicle stuck on Roosevelt Road near Route 83. Nobody was injured. A downed wire also closed all four lanes of Butterfield Road near Macarthur Drive.
Strong winds caused damage to the roof and trees surrounding the Oak Brook fire station at 22nd and Jorie. The fire station at 31st and Jorie was without power Wednesday night and operating on a generator.
Shortly after 6 p.m., South Elgin firefighters responded to a house fire on the 10N500 block of Manchester. Lightning struck the single-family home, causing up to $175,000 in damage and rendering the house uninhabitable. Firefighters put out the blaze in about a half-hour, Assistant Chief Bill Sohn said.
Despite the rough evening, the National Weather Service said Thursday and Friday will see mostly sunny conditions and less humidity with temperatures reaching the 80s and 90s. There is a 30 percent chance of more showers Saturday.
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