More than 350 motorists trapped or involved in accidents in Kane County

Kane County police and elected officials warned people Wednesday not to venture out of their homes unless it is “a life or death situation,” but county offices were planning to open Thursday.

Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay declared the county in a weather emergency Wednesday morning in hopes of getting some assistance from the state. Through much of the day Wednesday, roads in the western, rural portions of the county were impassable, Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Pat Gengler said.

High winds creating snow drifts are making the work of clearing many roads a more difficult task than usual. At 4 a.m. Wednesday officials declared all roads in the western portion of the county impassable. Both plows and tow trucks were unable to navigate the rural roads early in the day. At that time, Gengler said trapped motorists in the western portion of the county had little to no chance of any immediate rescue. By about 11 a.m., the situation had improved at least to the point where rescue efforts began in full force.

“We’re still trying to get many people rescued and unstuck from early this morning,” Gengler said later in the day Wednesday. “And now we’re trying to get some people rescued who decided it was a good idea to try to go to work. We’re making some headway, but as more people get stuck it just compounds the problem. Don’t go out and drive unless it’s a life or death situation. It’s so bad we have some plows that are still stuck from last night.”

The sheriff’s office and local police departments in Kane County have implemented emergency snow plans. National Weather Service data showed parts of the county received in excess of 20 inches of snow. The county received 1,730 calls between 3 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday. More than 350 of those calls related to stranded motorists and vehicle accidents.

By 4 p.m., county officials said just about all stranded motorists had been rescued, though some waited as long as 12 hours in their vehicles. Gengler said, by late Wednesday afternoon, only a couple truck drivers with full tanks of diesel fuel were still stranded as the result of deciding to wait out the storm and road clearing efforts. The more urban areas of the county proved much more passable for motorists than the rural areas even by late in the day.

“There are a lot of people out on the roads driving,” Gengler said. “They’ll drive through an area like Aurora and think the roads are like that everywhere. Then they’ll try to go out toward Big Rock, and the roads are almost impassable. One thing I know is no one is getting anywhere fast. As far as Thursday, we’re encouraging people to not go anywhere for one more day and give us another 24 hours to clear this stuff.”

Only high-priority emergency calls are being responded to at this time. Calls for problems, such as property damage from plows, should not be reported until Thursday afternoon, county officials said.

Kane County officials expect normal government operations and services to resume Thursday.