ComEd still working to restore power knocked out during storm as sweltering conditions move in
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Thousands of ComEd customers are still in the dark after Monday's storms, with nearly 15,000 homes and businesses still without power as of 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, most of them in Cook County.
ComEd has said it plans to have majority of people back online by Wednesday afternoon, but that news brings little solace to people stuck at home in triple digit heat with no air conditioning.
In west suburban Broadview, as ComEd crews and contractors work to replace downed utility poles – some of which actually snapped in half during the powerful storm – their customers are searching for solutions of their own.
Sitting outside when it's 95 degrees might not sound like the best way to cool down, but Mary Bell said it's even worse inside.
"Starting to feel the humidity. I've opened up as many windows as I can, but I'm not getting what I need, because there's no air blowing," she said.
Bell lives in Westchester, where about 1,800 ComEd customers fought through the heat Tuesday afternoon with no power.
Some of them told CBS 2 they're considering staying at a hotel or a relative's house, including Bell.
"I'm trying to wait it out, and see what happens, but it gets a little difficult, because my husband is disabled. So it can cause a problem there, because he has certain things that he needs," Bell said.
Westchester officials have said people are welcome to use the village's cooling stations, including an air-conditioned bus at Village Hall.
Meantime, on top of the lack of air conditioning, Eric Keeley is dealing with insurance agents after a branch broke through this car window, but he's staying optimistic.
"I'm not terribly worried about the heat right now. I'm more concerned people that don't have access to cooling stations and whatnot," he said.
As for the Bells, they're hoping their food doesn't go bad.
"I try not to open the refrigerator too much," Bell said.
If you're driving in this area, here's something you'll want to keep in mind: as ComEd crews and contractors work to fix this broken utility poles, they have shut down traffic on Cermak Road near Terry Lane.