Heavy lake effect snow pummels Northwest Indiana
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Saturday Northwest Indiana residents were digging out of snow. In Michigan City, main streets are snowpacked, and drivers are lucky to make it down some neighborhood streets without getting stuck.
There is a lot of snow, but one couple helped put the storm in perspective.
"We had plenty of warning, but it came fast."
George and Lynn Kazmierczak bust out the snowmobile snowsuits when the city gets buried.
"They're from the 60s!" Lynn said.
They said they have not had the snowsuits out of their basement closet in at least the last three years.
Lynn has lived in the area all her life and 55 years there with her husband George.
"I guess it's home," he said.
The two shared shoveling duty outside their home on Saturday.
While the lake effect snow will be memorable, the biggest storm came before marriage and matching suits.
"The best one was back in 1958," George said.
The Chicago Film Archives show Michigan City on 16mm film digging out from feet of snow.
"We had tunnels, and the tunnels were almost 5 foot tall," said George. "Good old Mayor Daley Sr. sent a whol bunch of people here to help us get out."
Nearly 66 years later it's hard to say neighborhood streets look much better in color.
"I would say maybe number five as far as a ranking goes," said George.
After decades in Michigan City, the Kazmierczaks expect to weather more storms.
"It's part of the elements. It's part of where we live," George said.
And they know what they will be wearing.
"The snowmobile suits!" said Lynn.
George and Lynn say it would've been great had they actually gotten snowmobiles to go with their snowmobile suits. That never happened.
Fortunately for them - the snow has stopped falling, giving them and everyone else in Michigan City a break from shoveling.