More than 400,000 ComEd customers lost power because of Tuesday night's tornado-like winds and heavy rain. The electric company announced Wednesday that 90 percent of the outages should be restored by midnight Thursday, June 23.
"As of 4 p.m. [Wednesday] we've restored 241,000, but there are still 189,000 without power," ComEd Spokesperson Alicia Zatkowski told Patch. Roughly 137,000 of those still in the dark reside in the company's North Region. Meanwhile more than 700 ComEd employees are working to quickly repair the damage.
But for those readers still left in the dark, Patch offers up these safety tips:
- Keep Your Food Cool:
- Monitor the food in your fridge by scent and temperature. If potentially hazardous foods are left at 41 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours: toss or cook. If food is prepared, then it can be held at up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit until power is restored. If food smells bad, toss it.
- If your freezer is half full, the contents should keep for about 24 hours. If your freezer is full, the contents should keep for about 48 hours.
- Pack meat and dairy products in a cooler with ice if handy.
- Pour bleach over discarded food to discourage pests.
- Make A Red Cross List, Check it Twice: The American Red Cross has a go-to list of items to have on hand during a power outage. It's a basic reminder of all the things you might forget with the lights out.
- Radio Radio: If all your new-fangled tech gear goes kaput, keep a battery-powered AM/FM radio around for news updates. Hand-crank radios are also a green news option that sometimes come with a USB port to charge up other electronics.
- Keep Extra Juice on Hand: Work from home? You might want to keep better back-up on hand than the hand-crank radio. Spare car chargers for laptops and cell phones can range from $5 to $20, or portable power generators offered by Duracell can run about $60.
- Water Awareness: Does your water supply come from a municipal or city well? Keep an eye on usage when power is restored as the wells might still be out of service. Check with your local government for updates.
- Sump Pump Path: While it's a dreaded scenario, basement flooding can be worse if access to your sump pump is blocked by boxes precious childhood memories. Be sure the path to the pump is clear, and if you can swing it a battery-powered back up might come in handy.
- Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention advises to keep generators outside, roughly 25 feet from doors or windows. Do not use gas stoves to heat your home if temperatures get cool.
Remember to report downed power lines or treees on power lines to 9-1-1!
Northwest side of the village and they also heard nothing. This is the second bad storm through our area when no siren was sounded. I'm listening to my weather radio telling me to take shelter in a basement and stay away from outside windows, while no warning sirens are going off. We spent some taxpayer money a few years back to upgrade the sirens, so why aren't we using them?
This article appears on several sites. Which village do you live in? I know sirens went off in Northbrook at least...
Q. Does the National Weather Service have recommended guidelines for sounding outdoor warning sirens? A. Nationally, no. Q. What should I do when I hear the sirens? A. When the sirens are heard, go inside and tune to local media to get more information. Q. Why can’t I hear the sirens in my house? A. Sirens are an outdoor warning system designed only to alert those who are outside that something dangerous is approaching. Q. Will the sirens warn me of every dangerous storm? A. The safest approach is to be proactive and use all of the information available to protect yourself and your family from threatening weather. Nothing can replace common sense. If a storm is approaching, the lightning alone is a threat. Sirens are only one part of a warning system that includes preparation, NOAA Weather Radio, and local media. Q. How can I get alerts when I’m at work or in my house? A. For alerts indoors, every home and business should have a NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards. NOAA Weather Radio is like a smoke detector for severe weather. People seem to be “just clueless” about what to do if severe weather threatens. There is a level of personal responsibility that each and every one of us are accountable for. It is neither the job nor the responsibility of government to protect us from our own ignorance or stupidity.
Why did the village spend money recently to upgrade our sirens if they do not sound them? I can hear the sirens every Tuesday morning during the test when inside my home. If people cannot hear them inside their homes, the sirens are not loud enough. The issue I raised is not what to do if a siren sounds, but why it did not go off in the first place. Maybe, if a tornado touches down on village hall, we will get some action on this.
To sound the sirens when there is no imminent danger leads to the same type of response most folks have when they hear a car alarm going off... mainly annoyed ignoring. The sirens are NOT designed to be heard inside a structure, (again, read the information from NOAA and then DIGEST it). Maybe if you did your homework and gathered some FACTS before trashing the village at every turn you would have more credibility. To repeat what I stated before; "It is neither the job nor the responsibility of government to protect us from our own ignorance or stupidity."
What do we have a siren for? To warn us of an atomic bomb attack? Don't lecture me about doing my homework. Why did the village upgrade our siren a few years ago. Possibly to announce a future pennant win by the Cubs? Your the one who is stupid and ignorant if you think our government has no responsibility to warn us of a dangererous storm. Evidently, the people in Barrington and Northbrook who told me their sirens went off should contact their officials to stop bugging them. So you know where you can put y0ur FACTS.
Since I did not call you stupid I believe your name-calling is out of line. I do, however, differ with your view on the role of government and what its responsibility is. Ever since I can remember, I have taken personal responsibility for my own actions and well-being. I was taught that this was part of being an adult. And yes, I do know where I can put my facts... in writing, on Patch, where they can be weighed by those who have the ability to understand them. Have a nice holiday.
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