Rides - How Chicago’s using the web to reunite 519 Snowpocalypse-stuck cars with their owners

A day after a blizzard stranded motorists for up to nine hours, creating the amazing post-Apocalyptic shots we saw yesterday, Chicago was left with 519 vehicles abandoned along Lake Shore Drive. Today, they're being reunited with owners. Here's how.

Chicago: the city that works.

With 20 inches of snow and winds that hit 60 mph, the blizzard closed Lake Shore Drive for 34 hours. Overnight, the city plowed the snow, moved the stranded vehicles to six holding lots, then reopened Lake Shore about 5:50 a.m. this morning.

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.

This Is the Apocalyptic Storm Hitting the US Right Now

Get ready, because the snowpocalypse is back. This snow storm system is huge. NASA Goddard has released this amazing image, showing how it looks from space. Bloody scary, that's how.

The image was captured by the GOES-13 satellite, operated by NOAA. According to them, the storm will heat really hard over Texas tonight, "and intensify rapidly as it moves northeast into the Ohio Valley Tuesday night and Wednesday, then eventually re-form off the mid-Atlantic or New England coast late Wednesday." Expect extreme travel disruption and lots of snow zombies over the next 48 hours.

Breaking News - Weather : Mayor Bloomberg Declares Weather Emergency

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NEW YORK (NewYork) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared a weather emergency Wednesday since significant snowfall has been forecast for the evening rush hour, through tomorrow’s morning rush hour.

1. The public is urged to avoid all unnecessary driving for the duration of the storm and until further directed, and to use public transportation wherever possible. If you must drive, use extreme caution. Information about any service changes to public transportation is available on the MTA website at http://www.mta.info/.

2. Any vehicle found to be blocking roadways or impeding the ability to plow streets shall be subject to towing at the owner’s expense.

3. Effective immediately, alternate side parking, payment at parking meters and garbage collections are suspended citywide until further notice.

4. The Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Sanitation, and Transportation Commissioners will be taking all appropriate and necessary steps to preserve public safety and to render all required and available assistance to protect the security, well-being and health of the residents of the City.

Video : Swimming in the Cold No matter the weather, Gary Atlas, a Brighton Beach resident, runs six miles and takes a dip in the cold ocean water.