ComEd: Power restored for most ahead of predicted evening storms

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - ComEd said it has restored power to 99 percent of customers affected by powerful thunderstorms Saturday night, ahead of scattered storms predicted for Sunday afternoon and evening.

More than 60,000 customers were affected Saturday night when strong winds and lightning snapped power lines, the utility company said.

A 30 percent chance of scattered storms beginning at 4 p.m. is forecast across the Chicago area as a cold front moves southeast, the National Weather Service predicted. The storms come with a limited risk of hail and tornados.

A heat advisory remains in place until 7 p.m., the weather service said. An elevated flood risk also continues for the Chicago area as rivers remain swollen from earlier storms.

A flood advisory went into effect for the Chicago area early Sunday, advising residents that at least 3 inches of rain fell late Saturday afternoon and evening, resulting in rapid rises on the Chicago River overnight, according to the weather service. The river level rose higher than 5 feet Sunday afternoon before beginning to fall.

Flooding caused issues early Sunday morning after the heavy rainfall. About 1 a.m., flooding temporarily closed all lanes of the Edens Expressway (I-94) near north suburban Northfield, according to Illinois State Police. The Illinois Department of Transportation responded to the scene to pump the flood waters out.

At the Winnetka Avenue underpass, water was at least 3-feet high, Northfield Assistant Fire Chief Tom Burke told reporters at the scene. Firefighters rescued at least five people trapped in their cars in the area.

“Quite a bit of rain here tonight,” Burke said.