About 55,000 ComEd customers were without electricity Friday night following storms that hit the Chicago area, officials said.
Michelle Gonzalez, a ComEd spokesperson, said the storm impacted overall impacted about 122,000 customers but 55,000 remained without power as of 8 p.m Friday.
Storms moving through the Chicago area Friday afternoon helped bring this week’s oppressive heat wave to an end, according to the National Weather Service.
“These storms today will basically bring the heat wave to an end in terms of days in a row of much of the metro hitting 90 degrees,” said Ricky Castro, a meteorologist with the weather service. “We’re gonna cool off behind these storms pretty substantially.”
O’Hare International Airport appeared to fall just short of 90 degrees Friday, Castro said. The Midway area did reach around 90 degrees, meaning portions of the metro area had a fifth day of 90-degree heat. Chicago recorded four consecutive days of 90-degree weather during this week’s stretch, from Monday through Thursday, Castro said. The last time Chicago had four consecutive 90-degree days was last July, he said.
The National Weather Service warned residents in Chicago, Evanston and Cicero that Friday’s storms could include wind gusts traveling 70 miles per hour.
“We’ve already had some wind damage up in northern Illinois, up near Rockton,” Castro said. “The concern would be that if that intensifies, that would go toward Kane County, DuPage County and then Cook County from there.”
Parts of Kane County saw 3 to 5 inches of rain overnight, increasing concerns about flash flooding in the metro area, Castro said.
Notify Chicago sent out an alert warning of a flood advisory issued Friday just after 2 p.m., which was in effect until at least 5:15 p.m., noting that 2 inches of rain had already fallen in Cook County. The alert warned residents that creeks and streams may overflow, and underpasses and roads could become flooded.
Authorities were urging Chicagoans and suburban residents to report any damaged power lines or other storm-related concerns Friday.
Suburban Northfield fire officials confirmed crews responded about 2:30 p.m. Friday to a fire after lightning struck a home on Regent Wood Drive. Assistant Fire-Rescue Chief Tom Burke said crews found a fire on the roof. He said crews held the fire to the roof. No injuries were reported.