In the worst outage Illinois electricity customers have seen in more than a decade, an estimated 886,000 residents in Chicago and surrounding areas lost power from severe weather.

About 369,000 still remain in the dark while the primary electric utility, ComEd, wrestles with the daunting task of restoring power to the affected zones.

As severe weather warnings popped up prior to the storms, ComEd took the proactive measures of calling in extra help from Missouri, Pennsylvania and Iowa, and they were able to dispatch nearly 500 crews swiftly to their priority customers at medical centers, fire stations and police stations.

All in all, about 900 crews have been working to restore power across the affected areas this morning. Residents should expect and prepare for delays and possible travel cancellations at train stations and airports. Also if you are in the Chicago area, remember to be extremely careful to watch out for deadly downed power lines. Never go near them, and report downed lines to the utility at comed.com.