Weather Wrap-Up: How Did Tinley Park Handle the Below-Zero Cold?

Despite a broken water main and a higher than average number of ambulance calls, Monday was fairly uneventful in Tinley Park. 

Except for the 16 below zero temperatures.

Dangerous cold hit the village and the rest of the Chicago area Monday, as forecasted. But the extreme weather conditions didn't cause much of a strain on village services.

"So far, it's gone pretty well," said Pat Carr, director of Tinley Park's Emergency Management Agency.

By Monday, plows had removed much of the weekend's snowfall from Tinley Park streets, and the village was focused on handling the effects of the cold, Carr said.

The village did receive about 40 ambulance calls in a 48-hour period, which is a high amount, Carr said. But not all of these emergency responses could be attributed to the cold, he added. 

Public works crews also responded to a call of broken water main along Pine Point Drive on Monday morning, Carr said. 

The village also operated two warming shelters—one at the Tinley Park police station, and one at the Tinley Park Senior Center in the Public Safety Building—but no residents had used them as of 4 p.m. Monday, Carr said.

Besides simply being cold, the extreme temperatures did create some frustrations for residents out of the village's control. The Tinley Park Public Library and some neighborhoods throughout the village were without Internet access, cable TV and even phone service for most of Monday because of a Comcast service disruption. 

Some area stores and gas stations also have been depleted of certain merchandise and fuel caused by customers stocking up before the snowstorm and cold snap, as well as supply trucks being delayed because of road closures in Illinois and Indiana. 

While temperatures are still expected to be well below zero Tuesday, forecasts are predicting a slightly warmer day, Carr said, adding that additional Tinley Park Fire Department crews will be on duty through the night.

YOUR TURN: How did you handle Monday's extreme cold? Share your thoughts in the comments section.