Chicago’s frigid temperatures are taking a toll on cars and homes, and those who work to keep the city moving are facing a daunting challenge as that weather continues. Courtney Sisk has the story.
Chicago’s frigid temperatures are taking a toll on cars and homes, and those who work to keep the city moving are facing a daunting challenge as that weather continues.
O’Hare Towing Service says it has responded to more than 1,400 calls in the last 24 hours for people whose cars won’t start or became stuck, and they expect that number to rise.
“It’s all hands on deck,” owner Bill Gratzianna said. “Trucks don’t start, everything’s been parked, and they had a couple good days to get frozen solid and snowed in.”
Between snowy spinouts and frozen engines, Gratzianna says his employees have been working around the clock.
“I expect even more (calls),” he said. “Internally, we canceled days off. We extended all our guys shift to 12-to-14 hour shifts.”
Gratzianna suggests motorists keep blankets and extra layers of clothing in their cars, and to start the engine of the vehicle throughout the day if it isn’t being driven. Keeping a half a tank or more of gasoline can also keep condensation from freezing inside the vehicle.
Firefighters are also facing their own challenges, between fires and plumbing catastrophes, like the one that caused pipes to burst inside a restaurant in Lincolnwood.
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“With these temperatures, it can wreak havoc on pipes in any kind of residential or commercial building,” Battalion Chief Bryan Graham said.
Tips to avoid issues with the pipes in your home can be found here.
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Temperatures are expected to climb back above zero degrees on Tuesday and even higher on Wednesday and Thursday, with a return to highs in the 30s and 40s slated for next week.
