County Board Chairman

Power Outages in Lake County 

As of this morning (Tuesday), more than 151,000 customers in Lake County remained without power, according to ComEd officials.

ComEd told Lake County Emergency Management officials today that it expected to have power restored to 90 percent of its North Region, including Lake County, by noon Friday, and that power should be restored to 99 percent of customers by late Sunday afternoon. Some areas could come back online significantly sooner, however, depending on the level of damage in various areas.

Many communities have opened cooling centers. Anyone with questions on the locations of cooling centers should contact their village or call Lake County Emergency management at 847-377-7100.

Several Health Department Facilities Remain Closed Due to Power Outage

 Due to the power outage, several Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center facilities remain closed today, July 12. The facilities that are open include: 3010 Grand Avenue, Belvidere Medical Clinic, Immunizations and the Tuberculosis Clinic in Waukegan, North Shore Health Center in Highland Park, North Chicago Community Health Center in North Chicago, Animal Care and Control in Mundelein, Central Permit Facility in Libertyville, Assertive Community Treatment in Grayslake, and Women's Residential Services in Vernon Hills. The Northeast Satellite Health Center in Zion (which is closed today) will be open tomorrow, July 13.  Periodic updates are available at: (847) 377-8000. 

Several Lake County facilities and services have been impacted by the severe weather, including:

Health Department:

The main Health Department complex on Grand Avenue is currently operating on generators.  Three health clinics remain closed due to power outages.  The public should please call ahead if you are planning on visiting a clinic.

Public Works:

The main building in Libertyville is running on generators; 28 lift stations are running on generators and 10 to 15 are without power, or are being powered intermittently by moving generators.

Courts:

All of the complexes of the 19th Circuit Court are fully functional.

Winchester House:

Winchester House is operating on a generator, and we have more generators on stand-by.

Permit Center/other Libertyville buildings currently have power.

Other

Many communities have opened cooling centers if anyone has a question on the location of a center please call your local municipality or the Lake County EOC at 847 377-7100.

News from Buffalo Grove 

Food Safety Tips during a Power Outage 

Food Safety Tips During a Power Outage - As a result of the storms yesterday, many Lake County residents have been left without power. The Health Department offers these tips to help deal with food safety issues during a power outage:

If the power is out less than 2 hours, food in the refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume.

If the power is out greater than 2 hours, follow these guidelines:

       · For the freezer section: a freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.

      · For the refrigerated section: pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.

        · Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

When power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully. Safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled, or treated water. Here are some general rules concerning water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Remember:

      · Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula. If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added.

        · If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you use it. Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water until your supply is tested and found safe.