Blizzard of 1999
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The blizzard of 1999 was a strong winter snowstorm which struck the Midwest, hitting hardest in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, dumping as much as 2 feet of snow in many areas. The storm hit just after New Year's Day, between January 2 and 4, 1999. Travel was severely disrupted throughout the area and the city of Chicago was also paralyzed. Additionally, record cold temperatures and high winds allowed many areas to receive their lowest temperature readings ever soon after the storm, between Jan. 4 and Jan. 8.
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[edit] The Storm
The storm produced 22 inches of snow in Chicago and was rated by the National Weather Service as the second worst blizzard of the 20th century, ranking behind the blizzard in January 1967. Soon after the snow ended, record low temperatures occurred with values of -20 degrees or lower in parts of Illinois and surrounding states on January 3 and 4. The areas with the heaviest snows, 15 inches or more, included Illinois (central and north), Wisconsin (southern), Indiana (central and north), Michigan (southern), and Ohio (northern).
[edit] Snowfall Totals
Winds of Lake Michigan enhanced snowfall totals within about 10 miles of the Lake, causing reports of between 18 and 22 inches in Chicago, the Northern suburbs, and Lake County. Chicago broke a one-day snowfall record with 18.6 inches falling on January 2. The total snowfall figures are below:
- Chicago/O'Hare: 21.6
- Chicago/Midway: 20.6
- Slinger, WI: 20.5
- Barrington: 18.0
- Lake Villa: 17.9
- Chatsworth: 17.0
- Dixon: 16.4
- Glenwood: 16.0
- Olympia Fields: 15.8
- Brookfield: 15.1
- LaGrange Park: 15.0
- Remington, IN: 15.0
- Aurora: 14.4
- Crestwood: 14.2
- Algonquin: 14.0
- Bourbonnais: 14.0
- Streamwood: 14.0
- Orland Park: 13.8
- Channahon: 13.0
- Coal City: 13.0
- Fairbury: 13.0
- Geneva: 13.0
- DeKalb: 12.4
- Valparaiso, IN: 12.0
- Willow Springs: 12.0
- Earlville: 11.3
- Monticello, IN: 11.0
- Naperville: 11.0
- Mundelein: 10.0
- Compton: 9.7
- Rochelle: 9.6
- Harvard: 9.0
- Rockford: 9.0
[edit] Impact
Midwest airports were closed, some for several days. Thousands of flights were cancelled. Rail service was halted or delayed, and highways were impassable. Lake Shore Drive was closed for the first time ever. Stranded travellers were accommodated in emergency shelters. The bitterly cold temperatures created large ice floes on the inland waterways, causing shipping delays.
Schools were closed for several days, many businesses were closed as well. Of those that were able to remain open, stores selling snow removal equipment were doing a booming business.
There was also a nationwide blood shortage since most blood donations come from the Midwest and many could not make it to the hospital and donate during the storm or during the subsequent cold snap.
[edit] The Costs
Human Cost: 73 people perished in the storm. The breakdown of deaths is as follows:
- 39 auto and train-related deaths
- 5 snowmobile-related deaths
- 32 deaths from over-exertion and heart attacks primarily due to shoveling snow
- 2 froze to death
Financial Cost: Losses as a result of the storm are estimated between $0.3 and $0.4 billion dollars ($300-400 million).
Federal Aid: 45 counties in Illinois and some areas of Indiana were declared federal disaster areas by President Clinton and subject to receiving federal aid.
Source: National Climatic Data Center. [1]
