Wind Hits Chicago, Leaving Thousands Without Power
WBBM Reporting
CHICAGO (WBBM) ― Chicago, the Windy City, lived up to its reputation Sunday evening, thanks to wintry blasts.
Winds were so strong that on the block of South Carpenter, it looked as if a tornado had ripped through the area – huge trees were thrown to the ground, some landing on parked cards.
The National Weather Service reported winds blowing as fast as 88 miles per hour over Lake Michigan with gusts of 50 to 68 miles per hour across the Chicago region.
The wind has left thousands without power. ComEd reported 15,000 customers without power as midnight approached. Throughout the day, they had restored 250,000 customers, with 165 crews working to restore power to those remaining in the dark.
At Sacramento and Warren, it was a messy scene as the Department of Streets and Sanitation, which is normally preoccupied with snow this time of year, was instead responding to hundreds of tree emergencies all day long.
"I just wasn't expecting to see all these branches and trees down," said West Side resident Amanda Kardos. "This is the West Side -- it's not supposed to be like this!"
But the biggest sign of the wind's power was at Mark Galus's home in Garfield Ridge. He awoke early Sunday morning to the sound of his roof being pulled off like the lid of a can.
"All of a sudden, a big bang -- the ceiling came down, portions of it," Galus said.
When he ran outside, he realized there was an even bigger problem.
"The power pole snapped in half; there was live power, just a whipping humming noise," he said.
ComEd dispatched three crews to the neighborhood, where a microburst with winds close to 80 mph pulled down power lines.
"With the cold, the wind, it all plays a factor in trying to get this back up," said ComEd crew leader Larry Mikolaiczak.
Thousands of customers throughout Chicago were waiting for trucks, but because sparks from the lines set cars on fire here, this section had to be repaired to make it safe.
Galus's lawn is strewn with charred pieces and insulation. But fortunately, he says he should have the roof boarded up so his family can be at home for Christmas.
"Thank god everybody's safe," Galus said. "The holidays are coming up; we're doing our best."
This is just one day after heavy fog left many passengers delayed or worse, stranded without a flight. High winds are causing problems at Chicago's airports, too.
At O'Hare International Airport, more than 300 flights had been cancelled and delays were averaging about two to three hours.
On Saturday, low visibility due to dense fog led to delays of about an hour on all arriving and departing flights at O'Hare and forced airlines to cancel 170 flights.
At Midway, there were no reported cancellations Saturday or Sunday, but a number of flights were delayed for an hour Sunday.
Aviation officials have been urging travelers to check on the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
Aviation Department spokeswoman Karen Pride said, "We're asking them, of course, to call in advance, check the websites and check with the airlines to see what the status of the flights are … and then, of course, get to the airport at least two hours in advance."
The wind wasn't the only problem for the airports on Sunday. Snow showers were moving through the Chicago area Sunday, with heavier snow north and west of the city. The Department of Streets and Sanitation had brought its main snow fleet back up to 181 snow fighting trucks as of 2 p.m. Sunday.
"We wanted more trucks on our routes because occasional light flurries have been falling on an already freezing road surface, which could make for slick spots," Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Mike Picardi said in a release.
If you have electric problems, report them by calling 1-800-EDISON-1.
CBS 2's Rafael Romo, Katie McCall and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
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