Frigid temps lead to burst water line in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, frozen fire hydrants in Waukegan, Lake Michigan shelf ice

CHICAGO (WLS) — A water line break in Uptown has residents and vehicles owners on dealing with an icy mess as a flooding street is rapidly freezing over.

The Chicago Water Department said a two inch service line broke in the 4900-block of North Glenwood near Argyle. The resulting flood is several inches high, and neighbors say at one point it was the height of some cars’ license plates.

Drivers have been moving their vehicles to get through the slush and ice and avoid being frozen in. Parts of the sidewalks are also treacherous due to the ice and water.

“I came out about an hour and a half ago, and it was a little flooded, and I just got back, and I’m not quite sure how to get back into my house without a canoe,” said Jessika Cutts, resident.

“It’s collecting a lot, so I feel lucky enough that I don’t have a car, and I didn’t have to move it, but I know that a lot of my neighbors do. I know that’s pretty inconvenient. I also know that it’s like kind of dangerous conditions,” said resident Katherine Gwynn.

It does not appear the water has made it into the ground floor units of the buildings.

The Water Department said the frigid conditions can cause water line breaks but they won’t know for sure if this was cold-related until they get more information on the age of the water line.

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Water management crews were able to repair the break.

The cold caused problems throughout the city and suburbs, from hindering firefighters to putting folks admiring the first sunny day in quite some time into danger.

At least three people were injured in an apartment fire in Waukegan Tuesday morning, but firefighters weren’t just up against flames; they had to deal with frozen hydrants as well.

“Due to the extreme cold, we had extra crews here to help out,” said Waukegan Fire Chief Gregg Paiser. “But our crews did an amazing job getting the fire knocked as quick as they did with the conditions that we have outside right now.”

Along the lake, the bitter cold and churning waves created shelf ice, beautiful to look at but dangerous to be near. Officials warned people to stay away, because it’s easy to mistake the shelf ice for the beach, and shelf ice is unstable.

“There are going to be air holes throughout. There are going to be even holes in between the ice gaps that come together,” said Evanston Division Fire Chief Matt Smith. “If you do fall through that ice shelf, your chances of survival are very slim.”