Chicago, the city fighting the polar wave with stoves on the street

A wave of polar cold has invaded the city that suffers from frost that can go up to 20 degrees below zero.

Fight him as he is. The unusual wave of polar cold forced locals to Chicago in the United States install stoves on the docks while waiting for the metro or take refuge in "heating centers" set up by the City, announced the agency EFE.

The freezing temperatures made it an odyssey for pbadengers to take the "L", as the Chicago elevated train calls it, as most of the stations are in the open air.

Arremolinados around stoves on platforms, wrapped from head to toe and carrying hot drinks, pbaders-by withstand temperatures of up to 19 degrees Celsius below zero, with a thermal sensation of less 25 and threats of snowstorm.

Read more►The arctic cold wave in the United States: at least 5 deaths and a thermal sensation of -50 degrees Celsius

It's an emergency that occurs "once a decade or every two decades," said Dave Dombek, the company's chief meteorologist. Accuweather. The stoves provide a few minutes of relief, but are enough to avoid the risk of frost or hypothermia during the arrival of the train.

The city's 911 emergency office has warned these brave citizens that the signs of frostbite are tingling, palpitations and numbness of the fingers and toes, ears and nose. With freezing, body fluids crystallize and expand, causing tissue damage that can lead to death.

"I know very well that once you start feeling that the time has come to find a warm environment, away from the cold," said Milva, a nurse interviewed by Efe when the train waited. "I look like a bear, nothing extraordinary, but it's the only way to survive"Said Milva.

Protected from ear protectors, gloves and a fur cap, Milva explained that she had thermal underwear, thermal pants, several layers of woolen clothes and thick boots. The nurse faces much more than the 12-year-old polar bear Anana, at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, is willing to accept. freezing days stays inside.

In the coming days, it should be even colder and the polar wind blowing from Lake Michigan can freeze in less than half an hour people still exposed, said today the director of 911 Emergency Office, Rich Guidice. "Chicago is used to extreme cold, but its people must be careful and not expose themselves, in addition to being attentive to what happens to their neighbors, their families and their friends," he added.

People who have heating problems in their home can go to six "heating centers" Department of Support and Family Services. In one of them, Messiah Johnson told Efe that he was allowed to stay overnight. "I do not know what I would have done without this help, I should have slept in the street," he said.

The municipality did not give figures on competition, but said that some centers were overwhelmed and had to increase their capacity. night services to care for the homeless homeless.

Public libraries, police stations and park service facilities also welcome people who need to protect themselves temporarily from the cold.

The National Weather Service's weather forecast for the Chicago area heralds a "dangerously cold" weather this weekend, which will be followed by a blizzard and a storm episode. "Excessive risk of extreme cold"possibly with unprecedented temperatures.

The emergency department encourages residents to prepare for the extreme cold and hardships of snow, storing food and taking care of their vehicles.

He also warns that slippery roads are the cause of accidents such as the crash of the chain of 14 vehicles without injuries Thursday morning on Lakeshore Drive, the road that borders the lake and one of the most used channels. high speed traffic in the city.

Source: www.elintransigente.com