Residents of Chicago prepared for a brutal blizzard scheduled to hit the city Tuesday, Feb. 1. Chicagoans were out in full force buying groceries, salt and running errands before the storm hit. Meanwhile, Mayor Daley and other governmental agencies briefed the media and public on how to handle the impact.
Chicago residents and city officials braced themselves for an imminent blizzard expected to break city records.
Storm Headed Towards Chicago
On Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Blizzard Warning for Chicago and the surrounding area. NWS said there was a 100 percent chance of precipitation. Gusts of wind could reach 50 mph and snow could accumulate up to 10 to 16 inches. Conditions were expected to continue Wednesday with another four to six inches of snow forecast.
Residents and Workers Prepping for Impact
People across the city were taking measures to fight the incoming cold and ice, in what Office of the Mayor Chief of Staff Ray Orozco predicted would be, “The largest snow storm to hit Chicago since 1967.”
Residents crowded to stores trying to stock up on essentials. The Jewel-Osco on Clark and Division streets had lines backed up on Monday night.
Also busy was Ace Hardware on Dearborn and Maple streets. Kenny Gilroy, store manager, said that the store monitors weather conditions closely during winter. When they discovered the impending storm, orders were placed for all five stores owned by this operator.
Gilroy said that most of their business in bad weather happens right before the big storm, and they had already had a wave of customers looking to stock up on supplies.
Private citizens often buy shovels for their driveways and brushes for their cars, and businesses buy salt, said Gilroy.
Many steps were being taken by city officials to ensure the public’s safety. Just some of those measures were:
• The Department of Streets and Sanitation had its full fleet of vehicles clearing roads, focused especially on main roads and Lake Shore Drive.
• The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services operated three 24-hour centers. More than 4,000 beds were available to sleep in overnight.
• Chicago Department of Aviation worked with the FAA to help minimize the impact on air travel.
• CTA salted bus terminals, garages and lots. They also monitored the situation and updated their status throughout the storm.
• Chicago Public Schools were closed and parents were notified.
U.S. Postal Worker Wendall Scott rushed to deliver the mail before the snow hit.
Scott said that postal workers in the city often deliver mail to as many as seven blocks of an area. Although there is often no problem if the streets are plowed and the sidewalks salted, it’s “so easy to slip,” Scott said.
Scott said that the profession requires you to balance your mailbag and “know your balance.” If you’re not balanced, “you’ll end up on your butt.”
Postal worker Wendall Scott rushes to deliver the mail before the storm hits
Mayor Daley and Government Officials Advise Residents to Stay In
“Our first priority is public safety. We need to make sure the roads are clear…exercise common sense and be careful,” said Mayor Richard Daley in a press conference on Tuesday.
Mayor Daley also requested that people check in on neighbors, especially the elderly. He highlighted the city’s 311 services and asked people to call in if they needed assistance.
Blizzard Arrives
Prior to the blizzard the NWS warned that travel was extremely dangerous and that if travel was necessary, a winter survival kit was advised.
This advice never seemed more prudent than on Tuesday night when hundreds of drivers were stranded on Lake Shore Drive, their vehicles later abandoned.
The Illinois National Guard was deployed to help stranded motorists get off the road safely.
As of Wednesday, the City of Chicago issued an update on conditions:
• Abandoned vehicles were moved throughout the city, and motorists needed to call 311 to locate their cars.
• The city reported that approximately 950 calls were placed to 911, mostly from stranded drivers.
• Workers from the Department of Transportation and Water Management are working to dig out fire hydrants, and clear busy intersections.
• The Fire Department responded to 1,300 runs, mostly from power-related problems.
• CDOT crews have been working since 11 p.m. to clear sidewalks over downtown bridges.
As residents braved the cold on Wednesday, many found that sidewalks were still covered with ice, and side roads were still unplowed. As many tried to climb over the piles and walls of snow, Scott has some advice, “you can’t be afraid of falling, because it’s inevitable.”
Residents faced harsh winds and snowy walking conditions
