By Tisha Lewis, FOX 32 News reporter - bio | email
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Temperatures are finally starting to cool but residents are still facing challenges after one of the most brutal heat waves in Chicago history.
"Yesterday at 6:00 the transformers caught on fire. The fire department came running and now all I'm thinking about his my business. I have a wholesale business and I have eight trucks out there and I don't know what to do," said Damato.
Three days of record-breaking heat sparked a power outage and Damato is just one of nearly 5,000 customers who remained with out power even after the heat wave was gone.
"My wife has been calling Com Ed every hour. I don't think she ever got to talk to anyone. The automated system just keep telling you a time. First they said 3am, 5am, then 8:00am, 10:00am, now it's supposed to be 5:00pm, right about now," said Damato.
Representatives from Commonwealth Edison addressed the outages earlier in the day.
"We have crews working on all those outages as we speak right now. We'll get them on here through the day," said Fidel Marquez, Senior Vice President of External Governmental Affairs at ComEd.
At the peak of the scorching temperatures, ComEd says there were 50,000 heat related power outages. That was on the heels of 321,000 storm related power outages.
Saturday's cool-down came as a relief to those still without power and others enjoying a breeze at the Lakefront who describe this week's weather as...
"Torture, a little bit of torture but this feels great right now because it has a little bit of a breeze and it's not high humidity or anything like that. Today feels good, not like the last couple of days," said Tiffini Gurganus.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 8:54 PM EDT2013-06-20 00:54:40 GMT
A man previously convicted of sex trafficking in Cook County has been charged again, this time for allegedly kidnapping a Minnesota woman and bringing her to Chicago to work in the sex trade.
A man previously convicted of sex trafficking in Cook County has been charged again, this time for allegedly kidnapping a Minnesota woman and bringing her to Chicago to work in the sex trade.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 8:46 PM EDT2013-06-20 00:46:42 GMT
Nine Lafayette Elementary parents and students have occupied a Lafayette Elementary school classroom, in a sit-in style protest against the school's closing.
Nine Lafayette Elementary parents and students have occupied a Lafayette Elementary school classroom, in a sit-in style protest against the school's closing.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 6:54 PM EDT2013-06-19 22:54:41 GMT
Nine students at a Near North Side bilingual public elementary school were hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after a student accidentally discharged pepper spray.
Nine students at a Near North Side bilingual public elementary school were hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after a student accidentally discharged pepper spray.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:27 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:27:06 GMT
Now that obesity has been officially classified as a disease by the AMA, many are wondering how this will affect the 35.7 percent of Americans who are described as obese.
Now that obesity has been officially classified as a disease by the AMA, many are wondering how this will affect the 35.7 percent of Americans who are described as obese.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:14 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:14:33 GMT
Two government aid programs somehow became one Wednesday afternoon on the West Side. Hundreds of people lined up for both food and flood assistance at the state office at Chicago and Pulaski.
Two government aid programs somehow became one Wednesday afternoon on the West Side. Hundreds of people lined up for both food and flood assistance at the state office at Chicago and Pulaski.
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