Strong Winds Send Tree Limbs Crashing Through Cars, Causes Other Damage Around Chicago Area
LINCOLNWOOD, Ill. (CBS) -- Following damaging winds on Saturday, some people had to spend the evening cleaning up and dealing with damage.
As CBS 2's Steven Graves reported, a large tree limb was still hanging in the 7100 block of Kedvale Avenue in Skokie late Saturday.
The tree limb came crashing down onto a sport-utility vehicle earlier in the day. Three Skokie firefighters had to step in to get it out after it shattered the back window.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Frustrations blew into Chicago neighborhoods too. In Albany Park, a tree limb cracked a Jeep's windshield.
The tree limb was too heavy for the owner of the Jeep to move it an inch.
"So we're waiting on the city to arrive. Hopefully they do," said car owner Imran Khan. "Help us out."
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In the downtown area, a restaurant owner scrapped what he could of his dining tent after the wind brought it down. Sandbag safeguards were not enough to anchor it.
There was no saving it. He had to tear it apart.
"This corner is windier than any other place because it's wide open," said West Loop restaurant owner Chan Ham.
At the corner of Randolph and Halsted streets, outdoor dining space is coveted with COVID-19. But even with an industrial-sized tent, there are challenges.
Business was not blowing in like usual, and some customers couldn't take it.
"A lot of them decided not to come today," said Will Rogosin, a server at ROOH Chicago at 736 W. Randolph St. "Just if they can't sit outside because it's either too cold or too windy."
But we found some diners at Fulton Market who didn't care. They sat at tables with blown-over street signs nearby.
The conditions on Saturday played into how they'll approach the colder and windier season ahead.
"It'll definitely be something that will have to be more premeditated for me to actually have the motivation to come out on a random course and just have dinner," said diner Michael Pham.
And in Chicago, there is a requirement that tents must be anchored.
The entire Chicago area was under a Wind Advisory with gusts expected to reach as high as 50 mph until 7 p.m. A Fire Weather Warning, or Red Flag Warning, was also in effect.