Cleanup Still Underway as Darien Digs Out from the Storm

By now everyone knows that Snowmageddon 2011 was one for the record books. But as of 6 a.m. Thursday morning, Director Dan Gombac said all of Darien’s streets were officially drivable. 

Sidewalk clearing is still a work in progress and will continue through Thursday evening, Gombac said. He said it’s still uncertain how long that process will take.

By early evening Thursday, Public Works hopes to have all snow mounds cleared from within the center of cul-de-sacs. Crews had to temporarily pile snow in the middle of the circles because at the rate it was falling, they couldn’t just plow it to the side. Trucks will cart the snow piles to .

The city will also begin clearing the approximately 1,600 fire hydrants throughout Darien, Gombac said. Residents are encouraged to help Public Works by digging out hydrants adjacent to their property.

There are also 76 school bus stops that need to be shoveled out before students return to school Friday, Gombac said. City Administrator Bryon Vana said that at this point, that’s one of the major tasks on deck.

“There’s going to be a lot of communication with the schools about that,” he said. All Darien schools are expected to reopen Friday.

Both Vana and Chief Michelle Gibson want to remind residents to make sure their dryer and furnace vents are clear. Because many vents are located near the ground, snow can easily obstruct them, causing carbon monoxide to back up into the home. Vana said residents should clear at least three to four feet of space around the vents.

Elsewhere around town, things are getting back to normal after a busy Tuesday night at both Tri-State Fire and the .

Gibson said Tri-State Fire personnel had to rescue people stuck in an elevator after the building lost power. The department also responded to calls about downed wires and blown transformers.

Darien-Woodridge Fire Prevention Bureau Director Bob Morris said that one engine got stuck in a Woodridge subdivision for about an hour and a half, despite having a plow on hand to help dig it out. 

“Road conditions were poor to impassable at best,” he said. A number of personnel couldn’t get to work Wednesday until the afternoon, and some, including Morris, were completely snowed in at home. On the other end of things, some personnel had to stay at the station beyond their shifts because they couldn’t get home.

But with no serious injuries or accidents around Darien, residents are sending much gratitude to the city, Vana said.

“We’ve gotten a lot of nice compliments from residents,” he said. “When you drive around to other towns, sometimes it’s noticeable the difference between their roads and ours. Our plan worked.”