As freezing rain and wintry weather caused hazardous conditions on Jan. 22, AccuWeather spoke with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to learn how the state was responding.
00:00 Well, we're going to go up into Illinois, where freezing rain and a wintry mix are creating icy roads and hazardous travel weather across much of the state.
00:08 Now, it's yet to reach Chicago, but it's coming.
00:11 So, Kevin Sirp from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is here with more.
00:16 Kevin, thank you for joining us. We appreciate you making some time here on a busy day.
00:21 Thanks, Jeff. Much appreciated to be here.
00:23 Well, we we love talking to you. And what's the latest on this ice storm in Illinois?
00:27 What's happening on the ground there? And are icy roads the biggest concern?
00:33 Well, across the state of Illinois, we've seen a bunch of different weather here in the Chicago land area.
00:38 We have icy roads. It's kind of windy and, of course, snow and likely going into the overnight time frame.
00:44 The northwest of Illinois, we had a lot of snow and ice and in central Illinois, definitely a lot of freezing rain in the metro east area.
00:51 We've seen some icy conditions. And of course, in southern Illinois, we've had warmer, but a lot of rain.
00:56 So we're definitely seeing a bunch of different things across the state.
00:59 And right now, where is the greatest danger and how are crews responding?
01:05 Well, we have a bunch of crews that are out there helping out every individual.
01:08 Now, there are a bunch of vehicle accidents, definitely icy roads and conditions.
01:12 And some things that people aren't thinking about, the sidewalks and other walkways are very slippery.
01:17 So we're seeing a lot of people doing some slips and falls and hazardous conditions are out there.
01:22 Shout out to all the crews, though, from IDOT, from Fire, Police, EMS and, of course, all the emergency managers that are out there helping to keep everybody safe.
01:30 Absolutely. I know it's a tough task, but they're up for it and up to it.
01:34 So what are some tips to stay safe in this weather? What should people be doing in Illinois this evening and into tomorrow?
01:41 The easiest thing that we can tell people to do is stay at home.
01:44 If you don't need to go out, just hang out for a little bit. The weather will get a little bit better.
01:49 Another couple of things that we're seeing is people are out in tennis shoes, probably not the best form of footwear, especially in this kind of slippery weather.
01:56 So wear sensible shoes or maybe even boots.
01:59 And of course, as you're driving to and from places, if you have to go up, allow for more time.
02:04 Definitely take it a little slower and make sure you check out the Illinois Department of Transportation's Getting Around Illinois dot com website.
02:12 And final question for you here, Kevin, tomorrow morning in Chicago, what are you expecting there regarding impacts?
02:18 And what are you concerned about the most?
02:21 Well, the skies are a bit cloudy, as you can see behind me, but likely a very slow commute coming in,
02:28 likely delays because people are being a little bit more safe as they're coming into work.
02:32 Make sure you double check your vehicle preparedness kit.
02:35 That includes food, water, snacks, gloves, shovels, all those different types of things, and maybe even as extra cell phone charger.
02:42 All those things and more can be found on our website at Ready Illinois to keep you better prepared.
02:48 All right, Kevin, sir, from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
