Watch CBS News

Plows Working Overtime In McHenry County

(CBS) -- Snow plow crews have been working overtime all across the Chicago area, including McHenry County.

McHenry County DOT Maintenance Superintendent Mark DeVries says they've been in operations for this storms since 7 o'clock Friday morning and have been operating 24/7 since.

Plows Working Overtime In McHenry County

He says drivers need to be more cautious in this weather.

"It's just a situation that people sometimes don't take as seriously as they should and it is a serious situation out there with the wind....we have visibility of almost zero in spots from blowing snow."

Devries says some chemicals used to dissolve ice and snow aren't working in this frigid weather, so they're doing it the old-fashioned way.

"The basic thing," he says, "is scrape and plow and keep the roads open and when we got to where it warms up a little bit, then we'll try to get things back to bare pavement where they should be."

Devries admits, with a laugh, that he and others sometimes wonder why they make they're living working outside, "Yeah, there are days you question 'why do we even want to live in this area? but that's what we got in this for. It's a public service thing we do and there's a great accomplishment by achieving the goal of getting the roads back to where they are and make sure people travel safely."

"Everyone of the plow drivers here and all across the country are unsung heroes when it comes to situations like this and I'm proud of every one of them."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.