The Governors of the States of Illinois and Indiana both issued executive orders proclaiming States of Emergency due to the extreme weather that slammed into our area in a big winter storm that is being explained by meteorologists as the “Polar Vortex” pushing arctic winds and extremely low temperatures into the United States. It’s a huge event: there are reports of arctic birds being seen in Florida, and Chicago reported the coldest Jan. 6 ever recorded, with the Chicago official temperature reading of -16 degrees besting the old record of -14 degrees set in 1894.
It’s really, really cold here.
The storm has been given a name: Winter Storm Ion. It’s breaking weather records not only in Indiana and Illinois, but all across the country. This is a dangerous time for us, and we not out of the woods yet, though the worst of the Winter Storm Ion has passed.
Roads Closed Yesterday; We’re Back on the Move Today
On Sunday, the mayor of Indianapolis ordered everyone to stay off the roads, issuing an emergency mandate that made it a crime to be driving on the city’s roadways except for an emergency. Mayor Ballard thought conditions remained so severe yesterday that he thought extending closures another day were in order. Both Governor Quinn and Governor Pence ordered all state workers to stay home on Monday, January 6, 2014.
Today, state workers are to report to work, however, as Indiana state offices ramp up at ten o’clock today and Illinois state office workers likewise have been asked to return to their jobs today.
Our communities are beginning to get back on the move again. We’re tough, we’re used to dealing with snow and ice and cold here. Still, it’s sad but true that we will probably be reading about tragic deaths in weather-related traffic accidents during this week as dangerous road conditions threaten to take lives and cause serious personal injuries as people drive to or from work, or the grocery store, or the pharmacy.
Car Crashes and Traffic Accidents Are High Risk Now: Dangerous to be Driving During the 2014 Polar Vortex Winter Storm Ion
It’s still very hazardous to drive today, and most people are very aware that if they can stay off the roads right now, and while we’ve got such icy conditions, they should. However, for state workers and others who have to drive their vehicles, there are websites with vital information about how bad the roadways are out there.
Traffic accidents involving snow and icy conditions can be serious and people are at risk of serious injury or even death in a car crash or auto accident in this frigid weather. Truck accidents involving big rig semi trucks are even more of a lethal risk for a crash now because these experienced drivers are fighting to maintain control of these huge, heavy machines on roadways that threaten them with things like black ice and other unexpected road hazards.
Please be careful out there.
Online Reports of Current Road Conditions Throughout Indiana and Illinois
To check current road conditions in Illinois, check out the map for Winter Road Conditions online here.
There is a current reporting of Indiana traffic too, go here to see what’s happening.
