East Coast Storms: Heat Wave, Power Outages Continue; Restoration Coming In Days [MAP]

The more than 2 million people who are experiencing power outages and heat waves along the East Coast could get a break soon as several power companies expect restoration in coming days.

People living in states from Illinois to Virginia are into their third day without power after a series of violent summer storms struck over the weekend, killing an estimated 18 people. Many of the lives lost during the storms were a result of trees falling on homes and cars, according to reports.

Temperatures are within the triple digits Fahrenheit, but as soon as the electricity is back on, affected residents will be able to power up their air conditioners.

Here are some links to maps of power restoration plans from several companies serving the affected region.

Dominion Resources Inc.

Power has already been restored to approximately 600,000 customers. The Virginia power company expects that 80 to 85 percent of power will be restored by Tuesday night. By Thursday night, there will be 90 to 95 percent power restoration, and nearly all service will be up and running by Saturday.

More than 3,000 employees, contractors and retirees are working to get the lights back on, Dominion said. Some 1,200 utility workers from 13 states, including Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin and Florida, and the Canadian province of Quebec, are making their way to the area to help. (View the summary of outages.)

FirstEnergy

More than 566,000 people were affected in areas of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, which is served by FirstEnergy. The more than 3,200 employees working have restored electricity to more than 314,000 customers. You can map current outages on its website and view the estimated restoration time.

Exelon

According to Reuters, Exelon's Baltimore Gas & Electric has some 233,000 customers out, which is a decrease from the 600,000 homes and businesses that were affected initially.

Pepco Holdings

In Washington, D.C., Pepco Holdings said more than half the 440,000 affected customers now have power. The company described Friday's storm was one of the most catastrophic weather events seen in the mid-Atlantic region since Hurricane Isabel in 2003. It estimates that its crews could have global restoration by 11 p.m. Friday. Should restoration efforts spill over into the weekend, the company will update its estimated times by Wednesday.

American Electric Power Co. Inc.

American Electric Power Co. Inc. told Reuters it is working to return power to the 465,000 affected customers in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the 416,000 in Ohio, 52,000 in Indiana and 14,000 in Kentucky. The company said it could take a few days before power is restored to all.

The power outages have sparked some concerns among commuters who are driving to work without functioning traffic lights. Some federal and state workers in Baltimore and Washington were given the option to stay home Monday in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion in those areas, according to the Associated Press.