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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING THE MEN AND WOMEN OF COMED THAT VOLUNTEERED TO RESTORE ELECTRICITY TO PUERTO RICO
WHEREAS, originating from a tropical wave that the National Hurricane Center began monitoring on September 13, Maria developed into a tropical storm on September 16 strengthening just a couple of days later to a Category 5 hurricane, sustaining wind speeds of up to 160 mph and making the 2017 season the first since 2007 to feature two Category 5 hurricanes; and
WHEREAS, with winds of 155 mph, Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20th, making this hurricane the strongest to hit the territory since the 1928 San Felipe hurricane;
WHEREAS, hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands just 14 days after hurricane Irma skirted the Island, damaging the electrical grid, compounding problems for all Puerto Ricans; and
WHEREAS, all of the 3.5 million residents of Puerto Rico lost power following hurricanes Irma and Maria and in the nearly nine months since hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, more than 40,000 people are still without electricity; and
WHEREAS, Puerto Rico is experiencing the longest blackout in U.S. history and second-longest in world history, forcing Puerto Ricans to live, work, cook, attend school and live life in the dark; and
WHEREAS, 146 ComEd employees raised their hand and volunteered to travel to help their fellow Americans in Puerto Rico facing unfamiliar and treacherous terrain on the island's mountains and in its rainforests: and
WHEREAS, these employees, along with utility workers from the five other Exelon utilities, spent over 50 days in Puerto Rico visiting some of the areas hit hardest by the hurricane and installing 376 poles, 267 transformers, and more than 108 miles of cable thus helping more than 11,000 residents in the affected areas.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, do hereby recognize the invaluable humanitarian effort by the men and women of ComEd who volunteered to help our fellow Americans in the Island of Puerto Rico; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceeding of this Honorable Body, and a suitable copy of the same be tendered to the ComEd Operations Team Leads for their service to the People of Puerto Rico.
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