This is a brief update for your information... we will provide a more detailed update later today.
Roads across Lake County remain impassable in many places. Numerous abandoned vehicles are scattered on and along roads, and some motorists remain trapped in vehicles that have not been reached by emergency responders. More than 150 people have been rescued from stuck vehicles and taken to temporary shelter locations where they are now warm and safe. Sheriff, DOT, Forest Preserve, Fire and EMS, Township, and numerous other personnel have been working around the clock through brutal conditions to try and gain access to roadways where people remain stuck in vehicles. Even large heavy equipment has become stuck in drifts that are sometimes deeper than five feet.
Areas that are of particular concern are Illinois 60 south of Peterson Road, Peterson Road from Illinois 83 to Illinois 60, and Green Bay Road north of Yorkhouse Road.
A band of heavy lake-effect snow is falling now across much of Lake County, and is expected to continue into mid-morning. Winds are decreasing, but temperatures will drop tonight to dangerously low levels, with windchills colder than 25 below zero likely.
Governor Quinn proclaimed a statewide emergency and disaster Monday evening in advance of the storm, which provided for improved coordination with state agencies. Lake County initiated a "Civil Emergency Message" through the National Weather Service and the Emergency Alert System telling the public to stay off roads because this is a life-threatening situation. Travel is at one's own risk, and people who get stuck may be in their vehicle for several hours because responders cannot reach them. We've attached the text of the Emergency Message at the end of this update. The term "Civil Emergency Message" is one of only a handful of message types that can be initiated through the Emergency Alert System by a local jurisdiction, such as a county.
The Lake County EOC is coordinating resources to try and support people in shelters, communities, and response agencies. Please encourage everyone to stay off roads if possible. For those who must travel, they should be prepared to shelter-in-place if their vehicle becomes stuck, with blankets, food, water, and a charged cell phone.
We will provide a more thorough update to all our EM Partners mid-day today.
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR LAKE COUNTY ILLINOIS RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
201 AM CST WED FEB 2 2011
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR LAKE COUNTY ILLINOIS.
BECAUSE OF LIFE-THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS... ROADS ACROSS LAKE COUNTY ARE CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY REACHING NUMEROUS STRANDED MOTORISTS. DRIVING WILL CONTINUE TO BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
IF YOU BECOME STRANDED... EMERGENCY VEHICLES MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REACH YOU.
IF YOU ARE STRANDED... DO NOT LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE. RUN YOUR VEHICLE 10 MINUTES PER HOUR. MAKE SURE YOUR EXHAUST PIPE IS NOT SNOW COVERED... AND CRACK OPEN A DOWNWIND WINDOW FOR VENTILATION.
ALL RESOURCES ARE BEING USED TO REACH STRANDED MOTORISTS. PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. DOING SO WILL PUT YOUR LIFE AT RISK.
