Loyola on alert for high winds, waves from Superstorm Sandy
Posted by loyolastudentdispatch on October 30, 2012
CBS-2 Chicago photo
Chicago residents are being urged to avoid Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive due to high winds and waves related to Superstorm Sandy, NBC-5 Chicago reports.
It’s unclear yet whether the predicted 24-foot-high waves will alter the route of the Loyola University Chicago student shuttle, which travels down Lake Shore Drive between the schools Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park and Water Tower Campus downtown. But windy conditions and high waves are expected to increase as the day continues.
Here is a story from NBC-5:
Chicago officials are warning residents to stay away from the Lake Michigan shore as the city prepares for high winds and waves resulting from Superstorm Sandy, which is pounding the East Coast.
Office of Emergency Management and Communication Director Gary Schenkel says officials expect winds to reach 50 to 60 mph, with lake waves exceeding 24 feet. Outdoor concessions and the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier will be closed Tuesday.
Portions of the bicycle path along Lake Shore Drive from North Avenue Beach to Ohio remained closed Tuesday where the waves were already splashing onto the trail. Schenkel says the Chicago Transit Authority is prepared to reroute buses that use Lake Shore Drive, if necessary.
A handful of joggers were still running along the Chicago lakefront Tuesday morning despite the warnings to stay away.
It’s the same story in Northwest Indiana where NBC 5′s Anthony Ponce reported dangerous waves at Porter Beach. Authorities have banned big rigs from using the Indiana Toll Road because of the windy conditions.
Officials are monitoring Lake Shore Drive in case the water starts to cascade over the barriers, creating dangerous driving conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a lakeshore flood warning from 1 a.m. Tuesday through 4 p.m. Wednesday.
