After two nights of heavy storms, south and southwest suburban officials are scrambling to keep up with the damage.
Palos Heights officials said about 95% of the city experienced power outages during Wednesday night’s storm, along with a substaintial number of fallen trees and large limbs, according to a city statement.
“After making significant progress throughout the day, our community experienced a second round of storms last night that resulted in additional fallen tree limbs and debris,” it read.
Around 50% of the city was still left without power Thursday morning, and officials urged residents to check on elderly family members, neighbors, and friends without power, internet access or reliable communication.
By Friday morning, power was restored to 85% of Palos Heights residents and businesses.
In Orland Park, the storms left 1,896 residents without power Friday morning, down from the peak of 6,230 residents without power, according to Mayor Jim Dodge.
One street was barricaded due to downed power lines, 143rd Place and Brook, said Dodge. Five traffic signals were also affected along 131st and LaGrange Road, 131st and Southwest Highway, 151st and Harlem Avenue, 143rd and Wolf Road and 153rd and West Avenue.
Dodge asked residents to avoid downed power lines, use caution when approaching work zones and only operate generators outdoors and away from windows to prevent carbon monoxide buildup.
He said public works crews worked to chip branches and clean debris from storm drains and keep water systems operating with three pump stations operating on backup.
“Thank you for supporting your neighbors, looking out for vulnerable residents, and giving crews room to work,” he said in a statement.
The storms led the Lockport Chamber of Commerce to cancel the first night of its annual Old Canal Days festival, which includes a carnival, vendors and musical entertainment. A drone show was rescheduled to 9:15 p.m. Friday.
Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer said as of Friday morning, about 11,000 ComEd customers remained without power. Village Hall was closed, with power expected to return to the building on Raymond Avenue by Saturday afternoon, Vorderer said.
He said by the time the village’s public works crews had cleaned up 95% of downed trees from storms on Thursday, more severe weather was rolling in. He asked residents to be patient as the village works to clean up debris.
“I am told that the storm last night actually created more power outages than the first storm,” Vorderer said Friday morning. “It’s a big storm, lots of lines down. You can only do so much in a day, you know.”
