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Chicago Area Cleaning Up After Damaging Winds

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Just 24-hours after high winds blew through; much of the area is still cleaning up.

Streets in the Loop finally reopened after yesterday's powerful winds.

The area around Wacker Drive and Franklin was closed off for almost 24 hours due to flying debris from the construction site at 150 N Riverside Plaza. Crews reopened it around 1 p.m.

"This was obviously an event that took probably seven, eight hours of continual wind gusts going way above 40 miles an hour," said OEMC Managing Deputy Director of Operations Rich Guidice. "It was a pretty significant wind storm."

Crews also reopened State St. between Cullerton and 21st this afternoon after insecure scaffolding forced the closure.

While debris on the tracks caused the suspension of service on The CTA's Green and Pink lines forcing Commuters to take shuttles at Ashland/Lake

"I don't understand why it takes that long to remove debris," said one rider.

Full service was restored Saturday afternoon.

Officials from the Office of Emergency Management said the disruptions were necessary.

"It was a weather emergency so it's a response," said Guicice. "You don't want to open something that's going to be unsafe."

More than 235,000 people lost power during the storm and as of 3:25 p.m., ComEd says 99 percent have had their power restored.

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