Some Fox Valley residents still without power after storm

Powerful storms swept through the suburbs last night, knocking down trees and leaving thousands of people without power, especially in the Fox Valley.

Winds reached up to 70 mph in Huntley - one of the hardest hit areas. As of early Wednesday afternoon, about 700 customers remained without power.

Officials are reporting villagewide damage with downtown and neighboring areas affected the most. McHenry County Emergency Management officials are surveying the town to further assess damage.

Eight homes suffered significant damage and one home was rendered uninhabitable. Officials expect those numbers to rise.

The village will issue building permits for documented storm-related damage at no cost to homeowners, officials said.

Public works crews moved storm debris to the parkway to clear roads and sidewalks Wednesday with help from Rolling Meadows and McHenry workers. Residents are asked to move any debris from their property to the parkway by Tuesday for collection.

About 65,000 ComEd customers, including residents of Algonquin, Cary and Lake in the Hills, were without power immediately following the storms. By Wednesday afternoon, that number was down to 3,900 customers.

In Lake in the Hills, more than 3,000 homes lost power as a result of the storm. As of Wednesday morning, roughly 2,226 homes remained without power.

"The village is in close communication with ComEd, and they are working diligently to restore service as quickly as possible," public works Director Dan Kaup said.

Crews cleared downed trees and debris blocking roadways Tuesday night and all roads reopened by late evening. Additional village employees were on hand to check facilities and water production equipment, Kaup said.

"The east side of Lake in the Hills suffered the worst damage, especially around Woods Creek Lake where there's a higher density of large trees near homes and power lines," Kaup said.

Residents are urged to use caution during cleanup, watch for workers on the roads, and refrain from approaching or moving debris near power lines. To report a downed power line, call 9-1-1 or ComEd at (800) 334-7661. Downed trees and branches on public property, streets, and parkways should be reported to public works departments.