Editor's note: As of 11 a.m. Monday, 70 Hinsdale ComEd customers were still without power. Read more here.

The following comes from a Commonwealth Edison release:

More than 360 ComEd crews are working around the clock to restore power after a severe storm tore through the Chicago area, causing power outages for more than 250,000 customers. As of 8 p.m. Sunday, power has been restored to over 96,000 customers.

See ComEd's outage map here to track progress on the restoration.

The storm struck suddenly and violently. According to the National Weather Service, the western suburbs experienced wind gusts of 60 to 90 mph, heavy rain and pounding hail. In Addison, more than an inch of rain fell in 25 minutes. There were a total of 3,400 lightning strokes recorded, primarily in the west and south.  

The hardest-hit areas are in ComEd’s northern region, where the utility is working with municipal officials and local businesses to provide regular updates. Some of the communities hardest hit were Lombard, Elmhurst, Wheaton, Carol Stream, Addison, West Chicago, Villa Park, Roselle, Glendale Heights, Elgin and Glen Ellyn.  

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Due to the violent nature of this storm and extensive damage, ComEd is expecting restoration efforts to take several days.  Most damaging to the ComEd system was lightning and high winds, which uprooted trees, downed power lines and damaged electrical equipment. The outages are difficult and time-consuming to restore because crews will need to remove limbs and entire trees that snarled wires and snapped poles. 

To assist with the restoration effort ComEd has requested assistance from neighboring utilities in Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and Missouri as well as other states to supplement the 360 ComEd crews already in the field.

Public safety is paramount during storms and ComEd encourages the public to remember to take the following precautions: 

• If you encounter a downed power line, immediately call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661) or access our website at ComEd.com and report the location. Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237). Customers also can visit Twitter for restoration updates.
• Never approach a downed power line. Always assume a power line is energized and extremely dangerous.
• Check on elderly and other sensitive family members and neighbors to ensure their safety and make alternate arrangements, as it may be some time before their power is restored.

ComEd also offers the following suggestions for customers experiencing a prolonged outage:

• Turn off all appliances including your furnace, water heater, and water pump.
• Leave a lamp on so you can know when power has been restored.
• Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed and open them only when necessary. Food will stay frozen for 36 to 48 hours in a fully loaded freezer, if the door remains closed. A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours.
• Customers who are on medical support equipment are strongly encouraged to evacuate to a place where they can be comfortable and safe.

To report an outage, customers can call 1-800 EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661), or report it through the web site – ComEd.com.

Customers also can follow @ComEd on Twitter or Facebook to stay up to date on the latest ComEd info.