It might not be surprising that some of the Chicago City Council’s 50 members did not check in for work at either their ward or city offices Wednesday, but what may be surprising is that in the aftermath of the biggest blizzard in more than a decade, their voicemail messages were not revised.

The blizzard littered 20 inches of snow onto Chicago between Tuesday evening and Wednesday.

So when residents called, what did they hear on their elected officials’ voicemail messages?

Some aldermen left personalized voicemails, saying the office will re-open at 9 a.m. Thursday and that residents should call 911 for emergencies and 311 for service requests. Others had their calls forwarded to their cell phones (one answered while he was shoveling; another while waiting for a snow plow outside). Meanwhile, some voicemails were not activated at all: There was no answer after more than 20 rings.

An informal survey of the city council members’ phones was conducted not to gauge how well aldermen responded to residents’ needs, but rather to illustrate their commitment to communicating with them during the city-wide crisis.

Ward 1: Ald. Joe Moreno: (773) 331-3516. Spokesman Matt Daley answered the phone and said the alderman was working. “The alderman was out with the ward superintendent since 4 in the morning; driving around with him, making sure the snow was effectively removed from our major streets.”

Ward 2: Ald. Robert Fioretti, (312) 263-9273; 312-744-6836, said in a voicemail: “We apologize that the office is temporarily closed due to the snow emergency.” For emergencies, he gave callers another number.

Ward 3: Ald. Pat Dowell. (773) 373 9273; (312)-744-8734: Automated voice mail message that comes on after the office is closed on regular work days and makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 4: Ald. Shirley Newsome. (773) 536- 8103; (312) 744-2690: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 5: Ald. Leslie Hairston. (773) 324-5555; (312) 744-6832: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 6: Ald. Freddrenna M. Lyle. (773) 846-7006; (312) 744-6868: Recorded service requests for streets and sanitation, but not directly related to snow storm.

Ward 7: Ald. Sandi Jackson. (773) 375- 9180; (312) 744-6833: Her ward office’s voicemail said: “In light of the blizzard affecting the Chicago-land area, our office is closed.” References 311 and 911, Com-ed’s phone number at (800) 334-7661 and a 24- hour answering service: (773) 731-0000.

Ward 8: Ald. Michelle Harris. (773) 874-3300; (312) 744-3075: No voicemails at either her ward or city hall offices.

Ward 9: Ald. Anthony Beale. (773) 785-1100; (312) 744-6838: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 10: Ald. Mary Ann Smith (773) 784-5277: “Due to inclement weather, our office will not be open”; (312) 744-6860. Her city hall voice mail does not have a special message.

Ward 11: Ald. James A. Balcer (773) 254-6677; (312) 744-6663: No voicemails at either her ward or city hall offices.

Ward 12: Ald. George Cardenas. (773) 523-8350: Ald. Cardenas answered his ward office phone: “Obviously coordinating with dept. of sanitation and clearing the streets. I don’t know what we’re going to do about the alleys. I’ve hired a couple of snow plows myself to help,” he said. “We knew this was coming, but we’re adjusting to it. My staff could not make it, so I had to cover the phone.”

What is the role of the alderman at this time? “You calm people down and you get them help. You coordinate and prioritize. Anybody that has an emergency that needs help, we get them out,” he said.

How long? “10 p.m. we will off ship.” Getting up? “As soon as there’s a little bit of light tomorrow, we’ll be out clearing the side streets and alleys.”; (312) 744-3040 City hall office, standard automated message.

Ward 13: Ald.Frank J. Olivo. (773) 581-8000; (312) 744-3076: No voicemail on his City Hall line; ward office had standard message that made no mention of the snow.

Ward 14: Ald. Edward M. Burke. (773) 471-1414; (312) 744-3380: No voicemails at either his ward or city hall offices.

Ward 15: Ald. Toni Foulkes. (773) 863-0220; (312) 744-6850: Automated voice mail message that makes mention of the snow storm.

Ward 16: Ald. JoAnn Thompson. (773) 434-3399; (312) 744-3069: Automated voice mail message that made no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 17: Ald. Latasha R. Thomas. (773) 723-0908, a constant busy signal throughout the day and evening; (312) 744-7738: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 18: Ald. Lona Lane. (773) 471-1991. Her ward phone line’s voice message said: “Our office is working in an expeditious manner with streets and sanitation to attend the needs of our residents of snow removal.”; (312) 744-6856: automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 19: Ald. Virginia Rugai. (773) 238-8766; (312) 744-3072: Automated voice mail system that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 20: Ald. Willie Cochran. (773) 955-5610; (312) 744-6840: Automated voice mail system that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 21: Ald. Howard B. Brookins. (773) 881-9383; (312) 744-4810: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 22: Ald. Ricardo Munoz. (773) 762-1771; (312) 744-9491: No voicemails at either her ward or city hall offices.

Ward 23: Ald. Michael R. Zalewski. (773) 582-4444; (312) 744-6828. At 8 a.m. Thursday morning, the alderman talked about voicemails and why he's not a fan of them: “I don’t have voicemail on my phone; I’d rather have someone live. We keep people on rotating shifts. If [residents] get voicemail, that sometimes frustrates them.”

Ward 24: Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon. (773) 522-2430; (312) 744-6839: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 25: Ald. Danny Solis. (773) 523-4100: an automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm; (312) 744-6845: No voicemail set up at his city hall office.

Ward 26: Ald. Roberto Maldonado. (773) 395-0143: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm; (312) 642-1212: No voicemail set up at his city hall office.

Ward 27: Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (312) 432-1995; (312) 744-6124: Automated voice mail system that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 28: At 11:00 p.m. Ald. Jason Ervin answered his phone: (773) 533-0900; (312) 744-3066. “At this point I am not pleased with the response with the snow emergency. Equipment that was supposed to be in my ward was not here. The city was not well prepared,” he said.” The main streets are clear, my resident streets are a wreck. I am at my ward yard right now with my ward superintendent when it’s being dispatched. I just think that we’re out here trying to do our very best to remove our snow so our residents can get to work tomorrow. I’ll stay here until I see some progress in the street.” All calls were forwarded to his cell-phone “People will call in our office after hours, people will continue to call; we’re out in the community trying to solve issues.” (312) 744-3066: an automated voice mail system that comes on after the office is closed on regular work days and makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 29: Ald. Deborah Graham (773) 261-4646: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm; (312) 744-8805: her city hall phone number either rings without being answered or acts as a fax-line. Ward 30: Ald. Ariel Reboyras (773) 794-3095: ward office message mentions that if there is a tree down, one should call 311; (312) 745-3261: No voicemail set up at his city hall office.

Ward 31: Ald. Ray Suarez (773) 486-6488; (312) 744-6102: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 32: Ald. Scott Waguespack (773) 248-1330; (312) 744-6567: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 33: Ald. Richard F. Mell (773) 478-8040; (312) 744-6825. No voicemails at either his ward or city hall offices.

Ward 34: Ald. Carrie M. Austin (773) 928-6961: Her ward office voicemail said: “Closed at the moment, but you can reach our sanitation office..." ; (312) 744-6820: Her city hall office voicemail said: "Please leave your name and a message.”

Ward 35: Ald. Rey Colon (773) 365-3535; (312) 744-6835: An automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 36: Ald. John Rice (773) 622-3232: At 12:30 a.m., the alderman’s chief of staff, Shelly Lyon, answered the phone said she and the alderman were working throughout the night. “We do have a lot of elderly in our ward. . .a lot of [constituents] are not sure about what they’re doing…I think [city officials] have been doing a very good job," she said, in regard to the alderman's collaboration with the superintendent; (312) 744-6857: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 37: Ald. Emma Mitts (773) 745-2894; does mention snow storm. (312) 744-8019: At city hall office, automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 38: Ald. Timothy Cullerton (773) 545-3838; (312) 744-6811. Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 39: Ald. Margaret Laurino. (773) 736-5594; (312) 744-7242: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 40: Ald. Patrick J. O’Connor. (773) 769-1140; (312) 744-6858: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 41: Ald. Brian Doherty (773) 792-1991;: Automated voice mail message that makes makes no mention of the snow storm. (312) 744-3208; city hall phone bounces to main government directory message.

Ward 42: Ald. Brendan Reilly,(312) 642-4242. Automated voice message system that makes no mention of the snow storm. (312) 744-3062. A City hall phone message says: “…Due to blizzard conditions, the office will not be staffed. However, we will checking our voicemail hourly, and will return your phone call promptly.”

Ward 43: Ald. Vi Daley. (773) 327-9111; (312) 744-3071: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 44: Ald. Thomas Tunney. (773) 525-6034; (312) 744-3073. Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the storm.

Ward 45: Ald. Patrick J. Levar (773) 545-2545; (312) 744-6841, says in voicemail: Closed due to the inclement weather, and then lists the emergency phone numbers. But no mention of the inclement weather on his city office line.

Ward 46: Ald. Helen Shiller (773) 878-4646; (312) 744-6831: Automated voice mail system that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 47: Ald. Eugene C. Schulter (773) 348-8400; (312) 744-3180: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 48: Ald. Mary Ann Smith (773) 784-5277; (312) 744-6860. Ward office message says office may not be open Wednesday due to the inclement weather. City hall message makes no mention of the storm.

Ward 49: Ald. Joe Moore (773) 338-5796; (312) 744-3067: Automated message at both offices that make no mention of the snow storm.

Ward 50: Ald. Bernard Stone (773) 764-5050: Automated voice mail message that makes no mention of the snow storm. (312) 744-6955. Call did not go through.