Over 140,000 ComEd customers still without power after severe storms

More than 140,000 ComEd customers were still without power late Friday as severe storms hammered the city and surrounding areas.

Tornadoes ripped through communities just to the south, east and west of Chicago, and hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed.

At Chicago airports, at least 117 flights were canceled and at least 273 more were delayed at O’Hare, while at least five were canceled and 114 more delayed at Midway as of 11:55 a.m. Friday.

Multiple tornadoes ripped through parts of Illinois and Indiana as severe storms moved through the area for a second straight day Thursday.

Officials were still working to confirm exactly how many tornadoes touched down, but they said suburban Bartlett and downstate communities of Dwight and Streator in Illinois were among the hardest areas hit by the storms. Communities in Northwest Indiana, including Merrillville, also experienced extensive tornado damage, according to reports.

In Chicago, high winds downed trees and caused much destruction. Average wind speeds were reported at 60 to 70 miles an hour in the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service. In some places they were even more intense. Wind speeds reached 85 miles per hour in Oak Lawn, for instance.

A tornado warning was issued for Cook County after 8 p.m. Thursday and expired less than an hour later. Rainfall at O’Hare was 0.7 inches, while 0.88 inches was recorded at Midway, according to the weather service.

The storms created a several-hour delay for the beginning of the Mumford & Sons concert at Wrigley Field Thursday night.

The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn closed its doors Friday due to a power outage related to the storms.

“We know many of you were looking forward to visiting, and we’re just as disappointed to miss a day of play with you,” the museum said in a note online.

Weather-related power outages also closed operations at the Markham and Bridgeview courthouses and Branch Courts 35 and 38 at 727 E. 111th St., according to a news release.

As of 11:50 a.m., over 140,000 ComEd customers remained without power, according to the company’s outage map.

Friday’s forecast is expected to provide momentary relief, though more severe storms are possible Saturday.

“It’s going to be mostly sunny skies, nothing like the past couple days,” said Brett Borchardt, a meteorologist with the weather service. “With that said, we are forecasting more storms [Saturday]. Some of those could be severe, however, we’re not expecting anything close to what we experienced the past couple days.”