ComEd Outage Map Guide: How to Check, Report, and Track Restoration Times

If your lights just went out in Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, or anywhere else on the North Shore, ComEd's outage map is the fastest way to see what is going on. Go to outagemap.comed.com, type in your address, and you will see if ComEd already knows about your outage, how many homes are affected, and when crews expect to have your power back. You can also text OUT to 26633 or call ComEd directly. This guide walks through all three ways, plus what those restoration time estimates really mean.

North Shore homeowners leaned on this map hard during the July 2026 storms, when ComEd was juggling outages across nearly 300,000 customers at once. Knowing how to read the map, and when to call instead of just waiting, saves you from sitting in the dark wondering if help is even coming.

How Do I Check the ComEd Outage Map?

Short answer: Go to outagemap.comed.com on your phone or computer. Type your address into the search bar at the top, and the map zooms in to your location. A colored icon shows if ComEd already has a report for your area. Click it to see customers affected, crew status, and an estimated restoration time.

Here is the step by step version:

• Open the map. Go to outagemap.comed.com. No login or account is needed.
• Search your address. Type your street address or zip code into the search bar and the map will jump right to your neighborhood.
• Look for an icon. A colored dot or icon near your home means ComEd has an active outage report for that spot. No icon usually means no known outage yet.
• Click for details. A panel opens on the side with customers affected, current status, and an estimated restoration time.
• Check back. The map refreshes roughly every 15 minutes, so give it a few minutes between checks during a fast moving storm.

What Does the ComEd Outage Map Actually Show You?

Short answer: Once you click an outage icon, you will see how many customers are affected, what stage the repair is in (like assessing damage, crew assigned, or crew working), and an estimated restoration time. A "Summary Reports" button in the lower corner also rolls up outages by county or region.

The map is built to answer three questions fast: is this a known outage, how big is it, and when will it likely be fixed. Icons are color coded by the number of customers affected, so a small icon might mean a handful of homes on one block, while a larger one can mean a whole substation or circuit is down.

Other useful features on the map:

• Weather overlay. Turn on a weather layer to see storm cells moving through the area alongside the outage icons.
• Summary Reports. Use this to see outage totals across Cook and Lake County rather than one address at a time.
• Alert sign up. The map links out to ComEd's text and email alert enrollment for future outages.

How Do I Report a ComEd Outage?

Short answer: You have three ways to report an outage: text OUT to 26633, call 1-800-334-7661, or report it online through ComEd. Report it even if you assume your neighbors already have, since every report helps ComEd confirm exactly which streets are affected.

If you see a downed line while you are at it, do not wait for the map. Call ComEd or 911 right away and treat the line as live. More on that below.

How Do I Get Outage Alerts Sent to My Phone?

Short answer: Text ADD OUTAGE to 26633, or enroll online, to sign up for ComEd's free text alert program. You will get an instant confirmation, then automatic updates on estimated restoration times whenever your address has an outage. Once enrolled, text STAT to 26633 anytime to check your current status.

ComEd's text system, run with its partner Agent511, gives you a small set of commands once you are signed up:

• ADD OUTAGE to 26633 to enroll your number.
• OUT to 26633 to report a new outage.
• STAT to 26633 to check your current outage status.
• HELP to 26633 for a full list of commands.

There is no charge from ComEd for these texts, though your carrier's normal text rates apply. ComEd caps alerts at 7 messages a day so your phone will not blow up during a long, multi day restoration.

Why Does My Restoration Time Estimate Keep Changing?

Short answer: Early estimates are based on what ComEd knows before a crew physically reaches your area. Once crews see the actual damage, whether that is one broken line or a whole pole down, the estimate updates. During a big storm with thousands of outages at once, those numbers move around more, and often more than once a day.

This is exactly what played out during the July 2026 storms, when four rounds of severe weather knocked out power to nearly 300,000 ComEd customers in one weekend. Crews needed roughly three days to restore about 95 percent of those homes, and estimated restoration times shifted throughout that window as new damage was found and more crews were brought in from other states. That kind of scale is rare, but it shows why a single number on the map is really a moving target, not a promise.

A tighter, more reliable estimate usually shows up once a crew has physically been to your street. Until then, treat the early number as a rough guess rather than a countdown clock.

What If My Power Is Out But the Map Does Not Show It?

Short answer: Report it anyway. Sometimes a single home's problem, like a blown fuse at the transformer or a damaged service line to just your house, will not show up on the big map until you report it yourself. Check your own breaker panel first in case the issue is inside your home.

Before you report, run through this quick check:

• Check your main breaker panel. A tripped main breaker looks like a power outage but is not one ComEd can fix.
• Ask a neighbor. If their power is on and yours is not, the problem is likely specific to your home's line or meter.
• Report it. Text OUT to 26633 or call 1-800-334-7661 so ComEd can send someone to look at your specific connection.

Our explainer on why the North Shore loses power so often covers the tree cover and aging equipment behind most local outages, in case you are trying to figure out why your street seems to lose power more than others.

Downed Power Line? Do This First

Short answer: Stay back, keep others away, and call ComEd or 911 immediately. Treat every downed line as if it is live, even if the power in your house is already out and the line looks dead.

A downed line can still carry deadly current even when it looks harmless. Do not touch the line, any fence or puddle it is touching, or anyone who may still be in contact with it. Keep kids and pets well away from the area. If the line is blocking a road or touching a house, call 911 as well as ComEd, since it needs to be treated as an emergency, not a routine outage report.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the ComEd outage map for my address?

Go to outagemap.comed.com on your phone or computer and type in your address or zip code. The map zooms to your location and shows a colored icon if ComEd already has a report for your area. Click the icon to see customers affected, crew status, and an estimated restoration time.

How often does the ComEd outage map update?

ComEd's outage map refreshes about every 15 minutes as new reports come in and crews update their status. During a major storm, check back often since restoration estimates and crew status can change several times a day.

How do I report a ComEd outage?

Text OUT to 26633, call 1-800-334-7661 (1-800-EDISON-1), or report it at outagemap.comed.com. Spanish speaking customers can call 800-955-8237. Reporting helps even if your neighbors already have, since ComEd uses the volume and location of reports to send crews to the right spot first.

How do I sign up for ComEd outage text alerts?

Text ADD OUTAGE to 26633 and you will get an instant confirmation text. After that, you can text STAT to 26633 to check your outage status or HELP to 26633 for a list of commands. ComEd caps these alerts at 7 messages a day.

Why does my estimated restoration time keep changing?

Early estimates are based on what ComEd knows before crews reach your area. Once a crew sees the actual damage, the estimate updates, sometimes earlier and sometimes later than first thought. During widespread storms with thousands of outages at once, estimates shift more often because crews are still working through the damage list.

What should I do if I see a downed power line?

Stay back and treat every downed line as if it is live, even if it looks dead or the power in your house is out. Do not touch it or anything touching it, keep pets and kids away, and call ComEd or 911 right away if it is blocking a road or touching a structure.

Know Before the Next Storm Hits

The outage map and the text alerts are free tools that tell you what is happening. They cannot stop the outage itself. Our post storm checklist covers what to check the moment your power comes back, and our winter power outage prep guide covers what to do before the cold gets to your pipes. And if you are tired of waiting on restoration estimates every time a storm rolls through, especially with a sump pump, medical equipment, or a home office on the line, it may be time to compare a standby generator against a portable one and look at whole home generator installation. Fill out the quote form on this page and we will send it to one local licensed and insured electrician. Your information is never sold.