Power Problems For Suburban Residents
CHICAGO (CBS) -- ComEd said it is aware that some Elmhurst residents are without power but the utility company did not have an estimate for when trucks would arrive. The culprit: a downed power line in the snow.
Scott Szczepanek said he was the first to call it in.
"I saw the two downed power lines that were still sparking on the ground," said Szczepanek. Live wires sparking on the ground leaving more than 80 nearby homes in the dark. Just a few of the 650 ComEd customers in Elmhurst still impacted by Sunday night's storm.
His biggest concern? Heat.
"Last time I looked it was about 61 but we've been running the fireplace since about 7:00 this morning," Szczepanek said.
Elmhurst resident Gail Anderson is also without power. Even with a tiny generator in her kitchen, they can't get the house warmer than 63 degrees.
"I think the most frustrating part is that when we contact ComEd they're not telling us when they think that the power will be restored," Anderson said.
She's not the only person frustrated with the lack of communication from ComEd, which is busy dealing with more than 140,000 outages.
Another Elmhurst resident, Amy Olson has a 15-month-old and a baby on the way. The Elmhurst resident said she may have to leave her home altogether.
"What's frustrating is not getting any updates," Olson said. "So I actually was looking to stay in a hotel because I don't want my son to be in the cold tonight."
She's one of several residents who went out and bought a generator in order to keep her family warm during this difficult time to be without power.
"Hoping that it will be resolved sooner than later," added Anderson.
ComEd has told some residents they should seek shelter elsewhere for Monday evening.