Severe thunderstorms swept through northern Illinois on Sunday, leaving more than 9,700 ComEd customers without power as a line of intense weather rumbled across the Chicago area. As of 8:12 p.m. Central time on August 9, 2026, the outages affected multiple counties including Cook, DuPage, McHenry, Lake, and Kane, with Cook County accounting for more than 9,300 of the affected customers.
The storms brought multiple hazards to the region, including gusty winds, heavy rain, large hail, and a non-zero tornado risk. The entire Chicago area was placed under a “slight” risk for severe weather by the Storm Prediction Center, with warnings issued across northern Illinois as the weather system moved through. ComEd crews mobilized to assess damage and begin restoration efforts as the storms continued to develop.
ComEd’s response to widespread outages reflects lessons learned from a more severe weather event earlier in the year. In June 2026, a pair of destructive storms brought approximately 684,000 customer outages across northern Illinois over two consecutive days. By June 12, 2026, ComEd had restored power to roughly 582,000 customers, demonstrating the utility’s capacity to mobilize resources when severe weather strikes. The June storms caused significant infrastructure damage, including downed trees and power lines, with at least two confirmed tornadoes touching down in Streator and near Dwight, about 100 miles southwest of Chicago.
During major storm events, ComEd typically restores power within 2 to 4 hours for minor localized outages. However, when severe multi-county weather strikes—as was the case on August 9—restoration can extend for days. The utility deployed more than 200 crews and over 3,000 personnel during the peak of the June response, supported by mutual assistance crews and base camps established at multiple locations to coordinate relief efforts.
Customers experiencing outages can report them by texting OUT to 26633 (COMED) or by calling 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661). ComEd urges residents who spot downed power lines to report them immediately and to never approach energized lines, which are extremely dangerous. The utility’s Outage Tracker at ComEd.com/OutageTracker allows customers to check estimated restoration times and view crew status updates in real time.
Sources
- NBC Chicago — reported more than 9,700 ComEd customers without power as of 8:12 p.m. on August 9, 2026, after severe thunderstorms in northern Illinois affecting Cook, DuPage, McHenry, Lake, and Kane counties.
- Business Wire — detailed ComEd’s restoration response to the June 10-11, 2026 severe storms, which affected approximately 684,000 customers across two days and included confirmed tornadoes in Streator and near Dwight, Illinois.
- EcoFlow — provided information on ComEd’s typical restoration timeline of 2 to 4 hours for minor localized outages versus extended timeframes for severe multi-county weather events.
