Officials say parts of Lake County were among the hardest hit by severe storms that brought destructive winds and downpours Monday, as crews continue working to restore power, which remains out for over 10% of the county as of Tuesday.
ComEd said in a statement that many customers who remain without power following Monday’s storms are “frustrated – and we get it.”
“The reality is that northern Illinois is experiencing a level of severe weather unlike what we’ve seen in recent years. In fact, our service area has already experienced more storms this year than in all of 2025, with five months remaining in the year,” the company said.
ComEd said storms are becoming more frequent, more powerful and more destructive.
Monday’s storm brought heavy rain, hail and wind gusts exceeding 80 mph, causing widespread damage across the region, including downed trees and power lines.
More than 530,000 customers were impacted by power outages and approximately 290,000 have been restored as of Tuesday morning.
Maywood, Crestwood, Bolingbrook, University Park, Chicago Heights, Glen Ellyn, Skokie, Waukegan and Libertyville were among the hardest hit, ComEd said.
Data shows 11% of customers — over 32,000 homes and businesses — in Lake County remained without power as of almost noon on Tuesday.
The company said that when storms cause this level of damage across dozens of communities at the same time, restoration becomes “significantly more complex.”
Crews must first assess damage, clear hazards and rebuild damaged infrastructure before power can be safely restored, ComEd said.
Roads must be cleared of downed trees before crews can even access damaged equipment.
More than 2,300 personnel are being deployed on Tuesday across northern Illinois and crews are “working around the clock” to restore service as safely and quickly as possible.
ComEd said they expect 80% of interruptions to be restored by Wednesday at noon and the vast majority of impacted customers restored by 10 p.m. on Friday.
NWS Chicago Survey Teams are planning to visit DuPage and southern Cook counties, and nearby areas, to assess potential tornado damage.
The first round of storms began entering Lake and McHenry counties just before 11 a.m. Monday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago issued severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of both counties.
The second round of storms moved into Lake County at around 3:35 p.m., with the severe portions affecting the eastern half of the county.
In Waukegan, flooding was reported on Green Bay Road north of Belvidere Road.
Waukegan Public Works crews are still tending to several calls, like downed trees.
In one case, a downed tree was reportedly completely blocking Yorkhouse Road east of Lewis Avenue.
“Our Public Works crews are out in full force clearing storm debris, with crews focusing on main roads first before moving into neighborhoods and side streets,” the City of Waukegan said.
In Gurnee, flooding was reported on Washington Street under Route 21 and parts of Grand Avenue on the east side of town.
A part of a tree fell on power lines in the yard of a home near West Keith Avenue and Green Place in unincorporated Waukegan.
In Zion, downed power lines caught the back of a house on fire in the 2900 block of Gilboa Avenue.
The Zion-Benton Public Library lost power and closed early.
In Lake Bluff, a vehicle stalled due to flooding at the Route 176 viaduct under Sheridan Road.
Significant flooding was reported on Audrey Nixon Boulevard at Sheridan Road in North Chicago.
In Lake Forest, emergency crews responded to live power lines that were down on Route 43 north of Conway Road.
Some drivers were reportedly driving over the wires as emergency responders scrambled to control traffic and shut down the road.
At Riverwoods Road and Duffy Lane in Lincolnshire, motorists were forced to detour due to power lines that fell.
In Deerfield, a tree fell and blocked the roadway at Deerfield Road and Woodward Avenue.
The Port Clinton Parking Garage in Highland Park experienced flooding and is closed until pump repairs are complete.
Malfunctioning traffic signals were also reported throughout the county.
The railroad gates on Route 137 just east of Route 41 in North Chicago malfunctioned, causing a major traffic backup during rush hour.
A myriad of other facilities like the Lake Forest Recreation Center, Lake Bluff Recreation Center and Lake Bluff Public Library were forced to close.
The Waukegan City Hall building also lost power and closed.
A spokesperson for ComEd told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that ComEd was monitoring the storms and increased staffing.
Around 300,000 ComEd customers across the region were affected by the storms.
“When heavy storms like this hit, ComEd always prioritizes restoration for critical infrastructure like hospitals, nursing homes and schools, followed by dispatching crews to the hardest hit areas to make repairs that will bring the most amount of customers back online,” the spokesperson said.
County officials urged drivers to slow down and exercise extra caution.
“Turn around, don’t drown!” the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) said.
Anyone who comes across a downed power line should assume it is live and should stay away. They should also call ComEd at 800-334-7661.