Chicago's Blizzard Response Puts NYC to Shame

This week, Chicago got hammered with 60 mph winds and 20 inches of snow. The blizzard stranded drivers for as much as nine hours and left 519 automobiles deserted on Lake Shore Drive. While Mother Nature's wrath was awe-inspiring, it was no match for the city's coordinated response team. As Jalopnik's Justin Hyde explains, the country's Second City put the Big Apple to shame:

Unlike New York City, which became infamous for destroying its own vehicles during its blizzard, city officials set up this website to let owners know where they could find their towed cars and trucks. The city will even provide enough free fuel to get off the lot if the vehicles ran low while trapped.

While the passengers stranded on a Chicago bus for nine hours Tuesday night didn't enjoy the experience, no one was hurt or injured in the shutdown. Chicago isn't a place that tolerates civic helplessness in the face of a little snow, something other cities might take notes on.

Of course, given Chicago's climate, one would expect the city to be more prepared than its East Coast counterpart. Still, as Slate's Meredith Simons notes, a little humility wouldn't hurt. The New York Times ran with the headline "Chicago Humbled By Powerful Storm."