 Last year's Dec. 1 storm delivered a three-quarter-inch thick
coating of ice that knocked out power and telephone communications
throughout central Illinois.
This year's one-tenth-inch glazing was deceptively less
threatening. Yet, it was enough to create extremely hazardous
driving and walking conditions that resulted in one death, numerous
injuries and damage throughout Logan County.
As city streets and main roadways were treated and made usable,
pedestrians, motorists and even bicyclists were lured out of their
homes to go about business as usual.
Rescue personnel were busy all day going to the aid of people who
fell on the ice, vehicle crashes, vehicles that went out of control
and left roadways, and there was even a motorist-bicycle accident.
There were numerous personal injuries throughout the day. A number
of motorists were found stranded by rescue personnel who were
already out on calls in the country.
As the day dimmed, temperatures that just couldn't move upward to
above freezing dropped, and the country roads worsened. Near
Middletown a vehicle reportedly left the roadway and rolled. A man
was thrown into a field during that incident.
A little later a man driving near Genesis Ministries, about nine
miles north of Lincoln, lost control of his vehicle. It left the
roadway and struck a utility pole, breaking the pole in two. Power
lines came down and blocked the man in the vehicle. It took some
time for response teams to reach him over the increasingly slick
road. The power company also had to come out to shut off power so
that he could be rescued.
[to top of second column]
 |
Rescuers had a difficult time maneuvering on the roads all day.
Conditions differed, with some times worse than others. The main
city streets and primary county roads were addressed by crews from
early in the day and were traversable by midmorning. Country roads
worsened later in the day, around dusk.
The Illinois Department of Transportation did a great job of
keeping their
roadway conditions map up-to-date, showing the current condition
of interstates throughout the state. If you haven't become
acquainted with that resource, it is an excellent and quick way to
check the roads before traveling. There's a yellow diamond icon that
can be found all the time on the front page of LDN, in the upper box
where it says "In Today's Edition."
Lincoln was the first city isolated by ice-covered roads during
the day. The red lines indicating ice- or snow-covered spread
throughout Illinois from St. Louis northward as the morning
progressed. By afternoon, icy interstates were found surrounding
major communities to the east and to the north of Bloomington.
At last, about an hour past dark, a slow-moving warm front
brought rain, and temperatures warmed quickly, thawing what icy
coating remained.
More details later on how emergency responders got through the
busy day and how the three-day-new 911 dispatch center performed.
[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]
 |
