Chicago winter storm: Shoppers stock up, medical experts have warnings about shoveling
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A nasty winter storm is coming to the Chicago area – dumping up to 10 inches for some parts of the area beginning Friday morning and intensifying especially on Friday night.
Many people spent Thursday heading to stores and stocking up for the storm – and some medical experts warned that if one of the items you bought Thursday was a shovel, you'll need to be careful when using it.
The parking lots were filling at neighborhood grocery stores, as people rushed in and stocked up.
"The shelves are getting empty really quick, and the lines are also very – you know, it's pretty huge right now," said Brakher Nag, who was shopping at the Jewel at the Lake Meadows Shopping Center in Bronzeville.
Nag was able to find the essentials – bread, onions, milk – and he plans to take the snowstorm serious.
"No, I don't think I'll have plans to come out tomorrow," he said. "I'll just watch Netflix I'll do some chilling."
And judging by the number of people carrying groceries or loading them into their trunks, that is the plan for many.
Most retail shops were ready Thursday night. We spotted snow removal equipment next to piles of slat in the parking lot at Lake Meadows.
At hardware stores, they were restocking the ice melt late Thursday - as shoppers realized the storm will require them to dig out.
"We were hoping to use our snowblower, but we have no oil, so I came out for that - and then also, an extra shovel, since we only have one at home," Michelle Mortensen told CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot as she shopped at an Ace Hardware store in Roselle. "I figured we needed another one with all the snow that's supposed to come."
From Friday until Saturday night, the storm is expected to bring several inches of snow to the city all the way to the northwest suburbs – with 10 inches expected in some areas. Whatever falls will be heavy.
Some are comparing it to a snowstorm that fell on Dec. 15, 1987 – where people dug out several times. That snowstorm was dubbed the "heart-attack storm" because so many people ended up in the ER as a result of shoveling snow. As of the following day, a total of 34 people had died during or after snow shoveling in the CBS 2 viewing area, CBS 2's Walter Jacobson reported at the time.
"Don't overexert yourself," said Dr. Andrew Costello of Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital.
Costello said ER's typically see patients from slips and falls. But he reminds everyone that shoveling the heavy snow can sneak up on even the healthiest person.
"Take lots of breaks, drink water, stay dry, and wear layers," said Costello. "I would say the people who are at risk are usually like middle-aged and older men."
Doctors also emphasize that if you have to be out, you need to have your gloves on. They say if gloves are off, frostbite can develop in just one minute in very cold temperatures.