The City of Naperville met with its internal and external partners to plan a few days ahead of the upcoming extreme cold.
“We haven’t had temperatures like this since 1985 I’m told so this is potentially a very, very serious situation,” said Mayor Steve Chirico. “So pulling in all the stakeholders in our community, making sure that they’re aware of what we’re doing so we’re aware of what they’re doing, so that there’s good communication and the appropriate amount of resources are available to everybody.”
The National Weather Service reported Naperville reached a high of just -15 degrees on Wednesday, January 30, with the wind chill reaching as low as -55.
In those subzero temperatures, frostbite could threaten exposed skin in just five to ten minutes.
As a result, dozens of Naperville entities such as the park district and both school districts closed facilities that Wednesday and Thursday.
City officials were primarily focused on taking preventative safety measures.
“We are planning on having our full staffing and all of all eight of our ambulances for both Wednesday and Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. the next day. So for two shift days by that time we think the temperatures are planning to go back down to normal,” explained Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis.
Record-breaking weather Naperville surely won’t forget.
Naperville News 17’s Christine Lena reports.
