Severe storms recently swept through parts of Illinois, resulting in widespread power outages affecting thousands of residents and several schools in the northern suburbs. In Deerfield, District 109 schools were closed for the day due to outages, with power restoration expected by Thursday afternoon, according to ComEd. Similarly, Brentwood and Robert Frost Elementary schools in District 59 were closed as power was not anticipated to be restored in time for classes. The storms caused localized microbursts, leading to significant disruptions, particularly in Des Plaines and Mount Prospect, where over 18,000 customers lost power at the peak. Utility companies are prioritizing the restoration of critical facilities before addressing individual outages. Meanwhile, Consumers Energy is also working to restore power in West Michigan after storms led to additional outages and school closures.