ComEd workers head east to provide relief to storm-ravaged coast

ComEd workers head east to provide relief to storm-ravaged coast

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As the East Coast slowly recovers from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, some Chicagoans are actively lending a hand. 

More than 700 employees of Chicago-based utility Commonwealth traveled to Baltimore and Philadelphia to help restore electricity to the region.

ComEd Senior Vice President Tyler Anthony has been busy since he arrived on the East Coast. “Well, I guess I got here on Saturday, so I want to say our crews and myself arrived Sunday evening and I don’t know the day – I apologize, is it Wednesday?”

Anthony, who’s been based in the emergency management offices of Philadelphia utility PECO, says his Chicago crew of more than 300 workers has been putting in 16 hour days.

ComEd and PECO are both owned by Exelon Corporation.

They expect to restore power to Philadelphia residents by the end of this weekend. Then, he and his crew will come back home.

“When you’re driving down a street and you see what some of these trees that have gone on top of houses or on vehicles… it’s just a very, very, very tough thing and your heart goes out to these folks.”

Meanwhile, The American Red Cross is asking Chicagoans to donate blood.  The blood bank had to cancel 325 pre-planned blood drives across 13 states that were affected by the storm.

A list of upcoming Chicago blood drives is available on the Red Cross website.