LAKEVIEW — Sarah Skonieczny ruefully watched as a tow-truck driver attempted to pull her car out of the snow on the corner of Elaine Place and Cornelia Avenue. Skonieczny’s car was snowed in on Tuesday causing her to miss four meetings at her job in the suburbs.
“My car has been stuck on the corner of this street for three hours,” Skonieczny said. “I’ve called three towing companies, this is the fourth one that’s finally come, and the police, but they told me they couldn’t do anything because the street is not plowed.”
Skonieczny was one of many residents on Tuesday trying to shovel out and get back to normal following the fifth-largest blizzard in Chicago’s history. The storm dumped 19.3 inches of snow on the city, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The blizzard, which hit hardest on Super Bowl Sunday, caused heavy delays for the city’s public transportation system and caused numerous flight cancellations at O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International airport. The snow also prompted Chicago Public Schools to cancel classes on Monday and many businesses to close for the day.
Photo by: Vianca Fuster, Columbia College Chicago
Skonieczny wasn’t the only one who had car trouble. Several vehicles around the Lakeview neighborhood were trapped under mounds of snow and residents struggled to shovel them out of their parking spaces.
“I had to get two cars out. We got stuck a couple of times, but we got it out,” said Amy Eisenberg, who lives near the Boystown area.
Eisenberg, who has lived in Chicago for 10 years, said she was shocked to hear that it was a record-breaking snowstorm. “Oh really?” asked Eisenberg, “I guess I’m just used to snow.”
While Chicago residents needed to dig out of their parking spots to leave, those coming into the city needed to dig to get their cars into spots.
Yvette Zgak, who lives in Downer’s Grove, has been commuting to her job as a hairstylist in Lakeview for 24 years. She keeps a shovel in the back seat of her car for just these types of emergencies.
“I’ve come prepared,” Zgak said, as she raised the shovel in the air like a ceremonial sword. Zgak spent time digging out a parking spot so she could park her car and leave with ease.
Zgak, for one, wasn’t surprised by the snowfall. “It was winter. It got here. Boom, with a bang!” she said.