Hardware stores were kept busy supplying the demand for snow supplies, while authorities deployed trucks to spread salt.
INDIANA – Since early Thursday, residents of northwestern Indiana have been preparing for the arrival of a winter storm.
Many local hardware stores have been keeping busy selling bags of salt and tools that people are looking for in heavy snow.
“Today we are very busy, we have been selling a lot of shovels, salt, antifreeze, things for the snow,” said Liliana Dávila, manager of a hardware store.
Dávila assured that they were already prepared in the store because the demand was high. Although they still have bags of salt outside the establishment, he added that they have quickly been sold.
“A lot of people have been coming from Chicago because they can’t find snow blowers anywhere, they can’t find shovels or salt,” said Dávila.
While some areas of central and southern Cook County, as well as Lake County, Indiana remain under a winter storm warning, residents prepared ahead of time.
“I’ve been here for over 40 years, every year we know the snow is going to come so we prepare, we put salt on it, sometimes someone comes and shovels the snow for me or sometimes I do it,” Whiting resident Jacques Eugene said.
Due to this situation, in Chicago the Department of Streets and Sanitation activated phase 2 of the snow program in response to the storm. Salt trucks are expected to be on major city roads as well as the lake trail to increase driver safety.
On the highways, the work of salt trucks will be essential as the winter system could complicate highway travel both Thursday night and Friday morning on Highways 80, 90 and 94 in Northwest Indiana.
Authorities are reminding residents to be cautious when driving if they have to go out in the middle of the storm, as well as to reduce their speed as visibility could be poor.