Storms Knock Out Power For Thousands In Chicago Area

Fast-moving thunderstorms slammed into the Chicago region early Monday, snapping branches, lighting up the sky and cutting power to thousands from the South Side out through the suburbs as utility crews scrambled to get a handle on the mess. Gusty winds, pounding rain and frequent lightning rolled in during the morning commute, and residents quickly started reporting outages and debris-strewn streets.

According to NBC 5 Chicago, ComEd estimated nearly 12,000 customers were without power across its territory, with roughly 1,000 of those outages in Will County. The utility's outage checker is available on ComEd's outage center. NIPSCO data showed at least 3,500 customers were also left without power in northwest Indiana, with clusters reported in East Chicago, Portage and St. John. Utility spokespeople said crews were being prioritized toward hospitals, emergency services and the largest outage clusters.

Watches, Warnings and Travel Disruptions

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana as the line moved through, warning of damaging wind and hail. The National Weather Service watch covered much of the Chicago metro while radar showed the line advancing east. Morning operations at O'Hare were briefly halted under a ground stop, according to CBS Chicago, compounding delays for commuters already dealing with slick roads and low visibility.

Restoration, Reporting and Safety

ComEd and NIPSCO urged customers to report outages via their online outage maps or mobile alerts and to stay well clear of any downed power lines. ComEd directs customers to text "ADD OUTAGE" to 26633 or call 1-800-EDISON-1, while NIPSCO suggests texting "OUT" to 444111 or calling 1-800-464-7726 for reports and updates. Officials reminded residents to check on neighbors who rely on medical equipment and to use generators only with proper ventilation.

Forecasters cautioned the region is not in the clear yet: another round of storms could move through Tuesday, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, and residents should keep an eye on local forecasts as crews work to restore service. City and county officials said they will post any shelter or cooling-center details if outages persist, and utilities will update restoration estimates on their outage pages. We will update this post as utilities release new numbers and restoration timelines.