July 11, 2011

Lake County Storm Severe Weather Response

The severe weather that moved through Lake County this morning left widespread scattered power outages, fallen trees, and damage to structures and vehicles, fromfalling trees and branches. Emergency responders from across Lake County, including: fire, EMS, law enforcement, public works, and transportation personnel, as well as utility crews are providing assistance.

Com Ed estimates that restoration of all outages will take multiple days. Power outages and downed wires should be reported to Com Ed at 1-800-Edison-1.  Please do not go near any power lines that are down. For information on power outages, including maps and the restoration process, please visit:  https://www.comed.com/sites/customerservice/Pages/OutageInformation.aspx.

If the power is out for less than two hours, the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume. While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed to keep food cold for longer.  For prolonged power outages though, keep these guidelines in mind:

·                     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.

·                     You should pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice.

Find more food and water safety information here: http://alertlakecounty.com.  Also, for up-to-date traffic information and road closures, visit www.lakecountypassage.com.

Watch a video on how to prepare for a storm

A new dental discount card program is now available that will help Lake County residents save money on their dental service expenses. The NACo Dental Discount Card Program, provided by the National Association of Counties (NACo) in partnership with Careington International Corporation, can help Lake County residents save up to 50 percent on their dental care services, and 20 percent on orthodontic services. Individuals or families may opt to pay for a monthly or yearly membership. The cost for a yearly individual membership is $59 and $69 for families. More than 200 providers in Lake County are participating in this program. Discount card holders will receive significant savings from these providers on dental cleanings, x-rays, braces, dentures, crowns, root canals and more. This plan is not insurance.

To sign up for the Dental Discount Card Program, residents can download a registration form at: www.nacodentalprogram.com.  A list of participating providers and more information is available.

Prescription Drug Card