Power Restored In Oak Lawn After Arctic Blast Knocks Out Service

OAK LAWN, IL -- The much anticipated polar vortex of the century swept into the region early Wednesday morning, knocking out power and cable service for many in the Chicago region.

For Oak Lawn residents living in the area of 91st Street and Central Avenue, many woke up to a cold house after a blast of arctic wind blew down a power line. About 500 residents remain without power. A new line has been restrung and is awaiting the signal to reconnect back to power grid. The intersection also reopened, but motorists are still advised to proceed with caution.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, power was restored to all but two Oak Lawn households, down from 1.600. The Oak Lawn Community Pavilion, 9401 S. Oak Park Ave., was opened as a temporary warming center for those without power. The pavilion has been closed but is ready to reopen if needed. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome.

Oak Lawn village officials are also checking on the most vulnerable residents, who’ve signed up for well-being calls and checks. Mayor Sandra Bury says the village’s EOC have been contacting residents on the list to make sure they have power and heat.

“We’re checking to ensure that nursing homes have power,” Mayor Sandra Bury said. “We’re worried most about the people who don't have the internet. It’s possible some people may not know what to do or who to call for help.”

The Oak Lawn Fire Department has also been going door-to-door, conducting well-being checks in areas of the village where power outages have been reported.

Comcast is also experiencing a regional network-related outage that has impacted numerous customers in the south suburbs.

“Our service is up and running as usual in the vast majority of the region,” Comcast spokesman Jack Segal told the Chicago Tribune. “Small pockets of the region have been impacted by network issues stemming from the unprecedented cold.”

Residents are urged to stay indoors and traveling unless necessary. For life threatening situations or if you find yourself in a weather-related predicament, call 911. You won't be bothering the police or fire department.

~ Photo By Tim Moran | Patch