Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Heavy Storms Reported in Chicago Area

Aired August 31, 2001 - 08:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: If you're driving around Chicago today, check before you go. You could be in for a real mess.

Thunderstorms hammered the area last night, leaving a traffic nightmare. High waters stranded motorists, several cars and vans almost completely submerged. But the good news -- some good news O'Hare International Airport has remained open through it all. But parts of the Eden's Expressway are closed this morning causing some traffic tie-ups.

And our own Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock is stuck in traffic himself this morning, and I think we've got him on the phone.

Jeff, are you there?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Brian.

Indeed, I am over top of the Eden's Expressway now. The good news is it looks like the inbound lanes have now just been opened. But the outbound -- I'm looking right now at the intersection of Peterson and Eden's. That's still shut down outbound. There was so much water -- covered cars on the expressway overnight, and it put a lot of muck in the roadway, so they had to hose that down.

As you report, the airport's operations remained open, but unfortunately, it got so wet out there that the access roads got shut down, so they have to shut down the airport for a time. Delays this morning as they try to catch up, and they also had people that had to stay out at the airport on cots overnight. So it was not a pretty scene and not a pretty scene this morning either, Brian.

NELSON: Let me ask you -- should people avoid the Eden's Expressway this morning? Or do you think it will start to clear up pretty quickly?

FLOCK: There are tremendous back-ups, I'm looking at now, on the inbound Eden's. As I said, outbound -- you can't even get on the Eden's outbound. And out to the airport is a mess also -- still getting into the airport, and they've also got flights to catch up from. So not pretty anywhere.

NELSON: Well, be patient, Jeff -- thanks for calling in.

(CROSSTALK) FLOCK: Will try.

NELSON: Jeff Flock -- he's caught in some of that traffic on the Eden's Expressway in Chicago because of the flooding overnight. And good luck to you if you've got it yourself.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.