After The Storm - Chicago Blizzard 2011

Well, we made it! Thank the Lord we didn't lose power, only some hours of sleep as the wind howled and beat against our house. We supposedly have 18-20 inches of snow, but who could tell as it turned into mostly huge drifts due to high winds. They said they were up to about 45mph. The downfall of that is the cars are burried on the street. The wind packed them pretty high and tight! 

Dear hubby went off to work at 6:30 a.m. and made it to the end of the block. Stuck! Some neighbors helped push, but had to resort to walking home, getting the snow shovel, and hoof it back to unbury the car. Finally got it off the street, and into a parking spot that also had to be shoveled out. Some really nice kid picked him up after his 3rd attempt to get to work. He had a 4x4 truck and got him there swift and sound! The firehouse has a snowmobile, so that will help add to the transportation woes. 

It's looking like the plows are getting the streets back in order. Lake Shore Drive was completely shut down last night. People were waiting in their cars for hours to get through. Here's an article talking about the 900 cars stranded for up to 12 hours long! Here is a little clip of an interview. Another example of people taking care of people. There are genuinely nice people out there!

“It was a fascinating experience,” he said. “You saw everything from firefighters on snowmobiles and a cross country skier in the southbound lanes. One woman knocked on my door. She had granola bars and bottled water, and she was just trying to give them away to people stuck in their cars.”

Something else pretty shocking, was that CPS closed it's schools. They haven't done this in over 12 years! Didn't matter to us, we aren't leaving the house!

Oh, and if today wasn't enough, we're now in for a  Deep Freeze!  Anywhere from -5 to -20 temperatures coming our way. YAY! *sarcasm* Hey, if we lived near a mountain (or at least a HILL) I would be elated with this weather. But sadly, the land is flat. No place to ski...

Stay warm, my friends! Don't drive anywhere.. it's not worth it!

(editors note: I am placing watermarks on photos now due to someone stealing them from websites. Although these are not the best photos in all the world, they are mine.)

Chicago issuing blunt warnings: Storm imminent!

Chicago warned: Brace yourself

Commuters trudge to work through a dusting of snow on Wells Street in Chicago this morning. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Tribune)

With a blizzard barrelling toward Chicago, emergency officials offered some blunt advice this morning:

 "Every Chicago resident should brace for a storm that will be remembered for a long time," said Jose Santiago, head of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications. "There is no reason to believe, at this point, that the storm will miss the city."

The blizzard warning for Tuesday and Wednesday forecasts up to 20 inches of snow. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph will create whiteout conditions, making travel nearly impossible, possibly flooding stretches of the lakefront and knocking down power lines.

The snow is expected to hit between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. today, falling  at 1 to 2 inches per hour. The worst is expected to come between 9 p.m. today and 5 a.m. Wednesday with a snowfall rate of 3 to 4 inches per hour, Santiago said. Lake effect snow could add an additional 6 inches.

Winds are expected to reach 50 mph inland and 60 mph near the lake, where authorities have issued a lake shore flood watch from noon today until Wednesday afternoon.

Waves at the shoreline are expected to reach up to 25 feet, Santiago said.

The Chicago OEMC was to open its emergency control center at noon. The multi-agency center will be located on the third floor of OEMC's office building on Madison. From there, authorities will monitor conditions around the city through street cameras, Santiago said.

Santiago reminded drivers they must yield to emergency vehicles and should not drive unless absolutely necessary.

Landlords must also remember that heat must be kept at 68 degrees during the day and 66 degrees at night, he said.

Residents in need of shelter can head to local warming shelters, libraries, and police and fire stations, Santiago said.

"This storm will task the cities resources and test the patience of Chicago residents," Santiago said.

Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation will utilize its full flee of 274 trucks plus 120 garbage trucks with quick hitch plows to clear main routes and Lake Shore Drive.

Department head Tom Byrne reminded residents that cars parked on streets with a 2-inch snow ban will be towed. "We will relocate cars if necessary," Byrne said. "This is a matter of public safety."

Byrne also said that snow cleared from cars should be put on parkways instead of the street.

The Streets and Sanitation Department will be receiving assistance Wednesday morning from the Department of Water and Transportation to help dig out critical areas around the city.

The Chicago Transit Authority plans to run longer trains more often to keep tracks clear of snow and the third rail, which powers the trains, from icing over.....

 (read more here)