Chicago--You guys all OK?

purdue1014

purdue1014

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Brent
I've heard reports of 3 tornado's confirmed on the ground....
 
Tom Skilling says the Cumulonimbus towered up to 70,000 feet!

And the lightning is positive charged, which is the kind that causes fires. I was sure I'd have the 7th power outage of the year but not this time.
 
mikea said:
Tom Skilling says the Cumulonimbus towered up to 70,000 feet!

And the lightning is positive charged, which is the kind that causes fires. I was sure I'd have the 7th power outage of the year but not this time.
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I can't believe Tom Skillethead is still on the air! What a WGN mainstay.
 
nddons said:
I can't believe Tom Skillethead is still on the air! What a WGN mainstay.
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He's the highest paid Tribune company employee - even more than the CEO - well over $1M a year. He couldda just stole like his brother Jeff did.
 
mikea said:
He's the highest paid Tribune company employee - even more than the CEO - well over $1M a year. He couldda just stole like his brother Jeff did.
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I'm not familiar with that story - can you fill me in?
 
Tom Skilling is the weatherman's weatherman, from what I've heard. Maybe Scott D can confirm or deny.

We're alright. I was just about to leave work when the tornado warning came in and we headed down to the basement. Power flickered a couple of times, but never for more than 15 seconds. Leslie got the cat into the basement at home and huddled there, nervous, but safe. Her sister lost power for a while (in Chicago), but it's back on.

Last I heard was 200,000 in the city without power, and about 65,000 in the burbs. ComEd is saying a "multi-day restoration effort." Also, they're reporting one reported tornado, none confirmed at this time.
 
I guess I am glad we were able to get out of town around 2 PM. I think we were the only flight that left on time out of O'Hare today.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
I think we were the only flight that left on time out of O'Hare today.
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You mean occasionally there is one??:dunno:

I think I've been on about 17 flights this year (again this Thursday on UAL yet). Only two legs have taken off or landed on time. We've been put in the penalty box so many times for arriving late and having no gate that I can pretty well tell we're going there by the taxi routes we use!

In St Charles we had the high winds and lightning - lost power for about 2 minutes. The local high school had ALL their football equipment, including portable goal posts, wind up in the forest and it peeled the metal roof off the main building.
 
KennyFlys said:
Yikes. I bet it sucked being around a news station during that time.
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Not much was really mentioned about it except for one story in the Trib about how the whole Enron mess was affecting Tom and his family with his brother int he spotlight. Most of the story was not about his brother and his relationship and not whether he was guilty or innocent.
 
Some wild damage seen on the way into the office this morning.

A new underpass was completed last month on Rt14 and the slopes of the land around the bridge had just been seeded. With all the rain the basically uncovered earth just slide into the roadway. One whole lane of Rt14 was closed in each direction due to the 'land slide'
 
bstratt said:
You mean occasionally there is one??:dunno:

I think I've been on about 17 flights this year (again this Thursday on UAL yet). Only two legs have taken off or landed on time. We've been put in the penalty box so many times for arriving late and having no gate that I can pretty well tell we're going there by the taxi routes we use!

In St Charles we had the high winds and lightning - lost power for about 2 minutes. The local high school had ALL their football equipment, including portable goal posts, wind up in the forest and it peeled the metal roof off the main building.
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Come on up to Milwaukee, Barry! That's one of the reason's I moved to Wisconsin. I travel a lot domestically and could not stand the idea of messing around with O'Hare that frequently. Plus, Midwest Airlines is about the best airline that I've flown, and I have been a frequent flier on three other airlines. Nothing comes close to Midwest.
 
Unfortunately its a much longer drive, and I couldn't move there with my employer being in the Chicago Loop!
 
smigaldi said:
Not much was really mentioned about it except for one story in the Trib about how the whole Enron mess was affecting Tom and his family with his brother int he spotlight. Most of the story was not about his brother and his relationship and not whether he was guilty or innocent.
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Tom talked about it on Chicago Tonight. He says he didn't understand any of it (I kinda doubt that) and it was devastating to his parents and the family.
 
gprellwitz said:
Tom Skilling is the weatherman's weatherman, from what I've heard. Maybe Scott D can confirm or deny.

We're alright. I was just about to leave work when the tornado warning came in and we headed down to the basement. Power flickered a couple of times, but never for more than 15 seconds. Leslie got the cat into the basement at home and huddled there, nervous, but safe. Her sister lost power for a while (in Chicago), but it's back on.

Last I heard was 200,000 in the city without power, and about 65,000 in the burbs. ComEd is saying a "multi-day restoration effort." Also, they're reporting one reported tornado, none confirmed at this time.
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I was worried about youse guys. They say some in your town got hit hard. It musta been the same line that hit Griffith, IN with a lotta damage.

I guess the worst went south of us, although they say there are lot up here without power.
 
I was at Wrigley when the storm blew through... It was pretty wild. They ordered everybody inside into the concourse (where all the concession stands are). We were on the Terrace level, with the upper deck above us so we didn't get wet. We decided staying in our seats was probably a safer (and certainly more comfortable) bet than standing around in a concrete tube with 25,000 sweaty, nervous people. Then the sirens went off (a rare occurrence in the city proper) and some folks freaked out a little. Then a minute or two later, it really picked up... Rain blew sideways and we got a little wet, though we were far enough up into the stands to avoid getting real soaked. I only started to get nervous when I looked out behind me and saw the water swirling on the field... I thought to myself, "That couldn't be a... Nah, it couldn't..." for a moment before I realized it was just the shape of the outfield wall causing the swirling action.

Anyway, then the wind shifted as the storm passed and began to die down. I wasn't terribly worried as I've been stuck outside in storms as bad or worse, but lots of folks were a little pale in the face. But then everybody began to relax and join in some "Let's go Cubbies!" cheers. Eventually we left and saw quite a bit of damage... Tons of trees down, several on top of well-smashed cars.

Oh, and it was 70's Night at the ballpark. We really knew it was a big breeze when The King blew in and did a slip-and-slide routine on the tarp. His cohort loses points for not being in costume, but gets a few back for having the forethought to wear what appear to be swimming goggles. Good times. (attached picture from the Chicago Tribune)

Edit: The guy who shot this video must've been sitting right by me... He's just in front and to the right field side of me. In fact, in "Part 2", at 15 seconds in, you can see a guy in a green shirt at the left side of the frame facing away from the camera, talking on a cell phone. That's me.

Part 1: http://www.vimeo.com/1468990
Part 2: http://www.vimeo.com/1469000
Part 3: http://www.vimeo.com/1469008
Part 4: http://www.vimeo.com/1469016
 

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smigaldi said:
Where you the guy who went sliding on the infield cover and got arrested? ;)
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LOL! No... Both "Elvis" and his buddy walked right past us though on their way to their slide to infamy. :D
 
mikea said:
I was worried about youse guys. They say some in your town got hit hard. It musta been the same line that hit Griffith, IN with a lotta damage.

I guess the worst went south of us, although they say there are lot up here without power.
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On the way to work this AM I encountered one stoplight without power and a bunch of trees down on the side of the road. Other than that, smooth sailing.
 
gprellwitz said:
On the way to work this AM I encountered one stoplight without power and a bunch of trees down on the side of the road. Other than that, smooth sailing.
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There was a stoplight not working this morning in Carpentersville. A cop was putting down flares and had his squad in the middle of the road with the bubbles on, an unlicensed teenage driver smacked into him. The cop is alive but injured.
 
ReverendSlappy said:
... Then the sirens went off (a rare occurrence in the city proper) and some folks freaked out a little....]
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:hairraise:

Rare occurrence indeed!

I lived a block away down Addison Street (both sides) a good portion of my life and I don't think I can remember the sirens ever going off...maybe once when I was little.
 
bstratt said:
Unfortunately its a much longer drive, and I couldn't move there with my employer being in the Chicago Loop!
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Amtrak Milwaukee Airport - Union Station: 6:26AM - 7:57AM.

Amtrak Union Station - Milwaukee Airport: 5:08PM - 6:28PM.

That's a barely longer commute than when I used to take Metra from Libertyville.

But you're right driving would be brutal.
 
mikea said:
:hairraise:

Rare occurrence indeed!

I lived a block away down Addison Street (both sides) a good portion of my life and I don't think I can remember the sirens ever going off...maybe once when I was little.
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Yeah, my boss was one of the people I was with and he was saying how he has "lived in the city for 32 years and the sirens have never -- oh $%@#!!!" It was really something.

The siren for my neighborhood is maybe 30 yards up the street from my building, so when it goes, I hear it -- and I mean hear it. In the 5 years that I've lived there, I think it has gone off once or maybe twice. Not more than three times, though. The impression that I get from talking to other lifers is that they tend to have more of a hair-trigger on it these days than they may have in the past.
 
nddons said:
Amtrak Milwaukee Airport - Union Station: 6:26AM - 7:57AM.

Amtrak Union Station - Milwaukee Airport: 5:08PM - 6:28PM.

That's a barely longer commute than when I used to take Metra from Libertyville.

But you're right driving would be brutal.
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The only problem with that is Amtrak keeps canceling trains, while Metra adds them. An alternative is Metra from Kenosha, which would require a what, 20-30 minute rush-hour drive to the station from Milwaukee? Some commuters out by me do that every day thanks to our fine, fine roads.
 
mikea said:
The only problem with that is Amtrak keeps canceling trains, while Metra adds them. An alternative is Metra from Kenosha, which would require a what, 20-30 minute rush-hour drive to the station from Milwaukee? Some commuters out by me do that every day thanks to our fine, fine roads.
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I've only taken the rush hour timeframe trains, and certainly they don't have the schedule Metra does - for example, miss the 5:08 PM out of Union Station and you're stuck on the 8:05 PM! And at $42 round trip, it's not cheap, but then neither is parking in the Loop.

But these trains have been jammed - to the point of SRO on certain days. I see some people doing this daily - that would be a rough way to live.

Amtrak starts at downtown Milwaukee, and then only stops at MKE, Sturtevant, WI (i.e. Racine), and Glenview. I would bet the Kenosha Metra would take longer with multiple stops.
 
nddons said:
I've only taken the rush hour timeframe trains, and certainly they don't have the schedule Metra does - for example, miss the 5:08 PM out of Union Station and you're stuck on the 8:05 PM! And at $42 round trip, it's not cheap, but then neither is parking in the Loop.

But these trains have been jammed - to the point of SRO on certain days. I see some people doing this daily - that would be a rough way to live.

Amtrak starts at downtown Milwaukee, and then only stops at MKE, Sturtevant, WI (i.e. Racine), and Glenview. I would bet the Kenosha Metra would take longer with multiple stops.
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I had a gal working with me about 20 years ago who took the train from Kenosha to downtown, then got on a U of C shuttle bus to Hyde Park on the South Side. That's a LONG trip!:hairraise:
 
gprellwitz said:
I had a gal working with me about 20 years ago who took the train from Kenosha to downtown, then got on a U of C shuttle bus to Hyde Park on the South Side. That's a LONG trip!:hairraise:
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I worked with a guy who drove from Valpo to somewhere on the south side and then metra to Union Station, walked over to Ogilive and grabbed another Metra to Arlington Park where he kept a beater car in the lot and then drove up to our offices in Libertyville (this was pre-purple Ketra line) and then did the reverse each and every day.
 
NWS confirmed that a tornado did touch down in Bolingbrook last night, about a mile from Clow Intl Airport (1C5; home base)! But airplanes are OK; a few in the outside tiedowns shifted a bit in their spots, but no other damage. Whew!
 
lprellwitz said:
NWS confirmed that a tornado did touch down in Bolingbrook last night, about a mile from Clow Intl Airport (1C5; home base)! But airplanes are OK; a few in the outside tiedowns shifted a bit in their spots, but no other damage. Whew!
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That is good news. When I saw the report I was hopping that no news from Clow was good news.
 
My daughter lives in Logan Square, Chicago. The TV news said "If you live in Logan Square, take cover now!" and she and the BF did. They got through unscathed but lost power... and as of 6pm CDT tonight they were still without power. ComEd is not giving out estimates. :mad:

She and the BF are heading for a hotel tonight!

-Skip
 
Skip Miller said:
My daughter lives in Logan Square, Chicago. The TV news said "If you live in Logan Square, take cover now!" and she and the BF did. They got through unscathed but lost power... and as of 6pm CDT tonight they were still without power. ComEd is not giving out estimates. :mad:

She and the BF are heading for a hotel tonight!

-Skip
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ComEd did say that it may take days for some power to be restored.
 
smigaldi said:
ComEd did say that it may take days for some power to be restored.
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Welcome to my world, Chicago. (It was about 27 hours when the line that served as solely my drop was taken out by my tree....as I predicted.)

BTW, I have the only house on my transformer which later proved fun when my house the first or only one with power. I ran a cord to my neighbor to keep alive his almost-constantly-running sump pump.
 
Skip Miller said:
My daughter lives in Logan Square, Chicago. The TV news said "If you live in Logan Square, take cover now!" and she and the BF did. They got through unscathed but lost power... and as of 6pm CDT tonight they were still without power. ComEd is not giving out estimates. :mad:

She and the BF are heading for a hotel tonight!

-Skip
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Last I heard, ComEd is hoping to have all power restored by Friday. Maybe sooner, if the weather cooperates, and Tom Skilling indicates that it probably will!
 
attachment.php


Over four hours, about a half-year's worth of lightning bolts bombarded the Chicago area, electrifying the night sky as trees were split, transformers were zapped and houses were set ablaze.

As work crews picked up Tuesday from the previous night's storms, meteorologists were assessing the staggering power of a historic thunderstorm.

Nearly 90,000 thunderbolts had hit northern Illinois, according to the National Lightning Detection Network. At the storms' peak, it was firing off more than 800 bolts per minute; and that only counts those that hit the ground.

"There was no precedent for this," said WGN meteorologist Tom Skilling. "In every way imaginable, that storm last night was in its own league."

....
Forecasters knew that the storms bearing down on northeast Illinois had the potential to be powerful and dangerous. One measure of severe weather—convective available potential energy, or CAPE—was showing readings six times higher than those of the usual conditions for strong thunderstorms.

...
Glenn Hubbard was assuring his wife that the storm roaring through their Carpentersville neighborhood would soon pass when lightning blasted three trees about 8:30 p.m. Monday and jumped to their ranch style home, starting a fire that rendered the home uninhabitable.

"It sounded like an explosion," Hubbard said. "Our son said he smelled smoke. I opened a bedroom door and flames just shot out from the ceiling. We just ran outside, barefoot. I'm still in shock."

While working a night shift at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Center, manager James Kuehner said his co-workers and customers received a close-up view of the night's two lightning storms.

"You could tell when the building was getting hit, because everything was bright light and thunder at the same time," Kuehner said. "We knew it was more than just our basic summer thunderstorm. All of us have been through a ton of them, but last night's was nothing like we had ever experienced."

But despite the employees feeling nervous about the swaying building and the strikes of lightning, Kuehner said, the patrons of the lounge were unfazed.

"One guy was filming the bar glasses as they were moving back and forth with his videophone," Kuehner said. "They thought it was the greatest thing ever.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-lightning-06-aug06,0,2543310.story
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No *charge* for the extra entertainment, tourist-dude. :D
 

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