ComEd crews preparing for strong winds, possible power outages
CHICAGO (CBS)-- With 50 mile per hour winds expected during a winter storm hitting the Chicago area Thursday into Friday, ComEd is preparing for the likelihood of power outages.
That means staffing up and bringing in crews from across the country ahead of the storm.
ComEd crews were preparing to head out once snow starts falling Thursday morning and afternoon.
The biggest battle they will have is going to be making repairs to power lines and other ComEd infrastructure amid high winds.
ComEd said it has 1,800 utility workers on standby, including 350 line workers from around the country coming here just to help with this storm
By 5 a.m. Friday, ComEd will operate its emergency operations center. The headquarters are in Joliet, where staff will be monitoring outages and damage, and deploying crews to make repairs.
The goal is to get everyone's lights back on by Christmas.
"We are ready, and we understand the criticality of having power in lower temperatures, and we are looking forward to really restoring power safely and as quickly as possible," ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones said.
ComEd leaders said crews can't work on power lines when winds are stronger than 35 mph. Crews also will be facing extremely low temperatures by Thursday night, with temperatures falling below zero by Friday morning. Wind chills could drop to 35 below zero.
If you lose power during the storm, call ComEd immediately at 1-800-EDISON-1.