Kane County handles challenge of blizzard

Unless there is a rapid melting process, the worst of the one of the largest snow storms in Kane County history is over. Officials said icy road conditions and cold temperatures are the main remaining hazards still relating to the snowstorm as of late Thursday afternoon.

Don Bryant, director of Kane County’s Office of Emergency Management, said the ability of several state, county and local agencies to work together is what made the overall handling of the storm go “pretty well.”

“The storm really presented an interesting challenge,” Bryant said Thursday. “Most everybody got their shopping done and stocked up before the storm hit. But there were still a bunch of people who had to get home after the storm started. And that results in a lot of vehicles being stranded at various locations.”

The largest problem area was near Routes 72 and 47, Bryant said. Several motorists ended up trapped in their vehicles for several hours along those highways, Bryant said. The county was able to bring together volunteers with snowmobiles to get the people safely to a local BP Amoco gas station where many of commuters ended up staying overnight until their cars were dug out.

The county used a caravan system for most of the rescue efforts. Up to four vehicles would all go to the same location. That allowed for a pool of help if any one of the vehicles became stuck.

“Everyone was getting stuck,” Bryant said. “Sheriff’s deputies were abandoning their cars because they got stranded themselves while trying to help people. Even plows couldn’t get through. And if a plow can’t get through, then no one is getting through.”

At least one ambulance learned that lesson during the storm the hard way while trying to transport a stroke victim in Hampshire, Bryant said. The ambulance got stuck en route. Running low on supplies, they had to transfer the patient to another ambulance from the Rutland-Dundee Township Fire Protection District.

As of Thursday afternoon, some four-line highways still only had two lanes passable for commuters. Bryant said snow drifts in the rural, western portions of the county are presenting a challenge in terms of keeping the roads clear. In the meantime, Bryant has turned some of his attention to exactly how warm it might get and how soon. Eventually, the more than 20 inches of snow must go somewhere. Bryant is hoping a blizzard doesn’t become a flood.

“We’ve been talking about it already,” Bryant said. “As long as the snow melts slowly over time we should be OK. But if we a 60-degree day anytime before the spring, we might have a problem.”

The current forecast for Friday calls for temperatures in the low to mid-20s and in the low-30s Saturday and Sunday, according to AccuWeather.