Thunderstorms wreak havoc across Chicago, flooding highways and homes, but rain may not put much of a dent in drought
Weekend thunderstorms wreaked havoc Sunday across Chicago, resulting in flooding the National Weather Service described as “potentially life-threatening,” swamping highways, halting some Chicago Transit Authority services and damaging dozens of homes.
Flash flood warnings were in effect throughout the day Sunday and a flood warning remained in effect until 1 a.m. Monday, the weather service said. High water was expected to recede slowly.
More than 250 residents had submitted basement flooding complaints to 311 since Saturday afternoon when the weather service began issuing storm warnings. The vast majority stemmed from Austin.
Neighborhood resident Shirley Howard said she checked her basement Sunday morning after hearing a neighbor’s home had flooded. “I came downstairs and the water met me at the second step,” Howard said, standing in water up to her ankles. “I don’t think I’ll be able to save anything.”
The water initially receded some. But when the rain picked up Sunday afternoon, it came “rushing” back into the basement where her grandson lives, rising to a couple of feet, Howard said. “The couch was literally floating around in the water.”
For around 5,000 ComEd customers across Chicagoland, the storms interrupted power, with the electric company reporting nearly 100 active outages as of late Sunday afternoon.
Torrential rains also put a damper on the first NASCAR Chicago Street Race as standing water covered parts of the course and fans waited in the rain for the races to resume. NASCAR officials declared Cole Custer the winner of the Xfinity Series Race on Sunday after lightning forced officials to shut it down Saturday with just under half the laps completed.
The 4:05 p.m. start of the main event — the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 — was delayed more than an hour as race officials waited for the rain to move out of the area.
The flooding also created chaos for Sunday travelers, closing portions of two major interstates — on I-290 east of Des Plaines and I-55 east of Pulaski Road. The weather service encouraged travelers to “strongly consider” avoiding nonessential travel and implored them not to drive or walk across flooded roads.
The mayor’s office issued a statement Sunday evening stating the Department of Water Management was moving all available flood mitigation equipment to the streets and prioritizing assistance to areas where motorists were stuck in flooded viaducts.
Amid multiple CTA bus delays — and the suspension of portions of Blue and Pink line service — the agency encouraged affected commuters to consider alternative transit routes. Service was indefinitely suspended as of 10:30 a.m. on the Blue line between Harlem and Forest Park, and on the Pink line between Pulaski and 54th/Cermak due to track conditions. The CTA said shuttle buses would provide connecting service in those areas.
Rain tapered off in the evening, and the weather service said that while brief thunderstorms may reappear over the next few days, they’re not expected to match the magnitude of this weekend’s downpour.
Rain may not improve drought or air quality
Following Saturday storms, 3 to 5 inches of rain fell in some areas Sunday morning, with the continued rainfall also causing flooding in nearby suburbs, according to the weather service. As of noon, O’Hare had already received 2.27 inches of rain, breaking Chicago’s previous July 2 daily rainfall record of 2.06 inches set in 1982, the weather service said.
Whether the weekend’s storms improved drought conditions is yet to be determined, weather service meteorologist Casey Sullivan told the Tribune. “A lot of rain in the city today ran off because it came down so hard and ran into creeks and streams and then reservoirs,” he said.
“You need a gentle, light to moderate rain that allows it to soak into the ground. It certainly helped in the immediate short term, but in terms of long-term drought improvement, it remains to be seen,” Sullivan said, noting that any positive effects may also be hyperlocal, with variation in the amount of rainfall across Chicago.
Rain can potentially improve air quality by clearing out particle pollutants in the atmosphere. “However, the Canadian wildfires where the smoke originated from are still burning,” Sullivan said. “Could we get more smoke later this week or next week or the following week — it’s a possibility.”
Increased extreme rain projected
Because of climate change, scientists project that Chicago will see an increase in extreme precipitation events, with long dry spells between them, according to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Climate Action Plan for the Chicago region.
The change in weather patterns will increase the frequency and intensity of both flooding and drought, scientists project, noting that the impact won’t be felt equally. “Communities with lower incomes and a high proportion of minority residents typically have the greatest exposure to flooding,” the plan says. “Due to historical disinvestment, these same communities also tend to have lower capacity to prepare for and recover from flood events.”
In the statement from the mayor’s office, the city urged residents to assist with moving water into the wastewater system by not using extra water to shower, do laundry or dishes while experiencing storm conditions.
“As our climate changes and we see heavier rain events in compressed periods of time, it is difficult for our sewer system to move the water efficiently,” the statement said. “While it may present a temporary inconvenience, it is better for water to pool on the street than in residents’ basements.”
Edie Jacobs, Howard’s neighbor, said homes across the neighborhood were flooded. “I’ve been calling neighbors and everybody I talked to said ‘Yes,’” Jacobs said, as about a foot of water surrounded a water heater, furnace and furniture in her basement.
Making matters worse, the flooding occurs regularly, Howard said. “It’s starting all over again. Everything’s got to be stripped, cleaned,” she said of the home near Lockwood and Chicago avenues where she’s lived for nearly 30 years. “They just need to get a better system.”
Efforts to reach Ald. Emma Mitts of the 37th Ward, where Howard lives, were unsuccessful. Ward residents filed a quarter of all basement flooding complaints filed over the weekend as of 2 p.m. Sunday. Austin, a predominantly Black community, is home to nearly 100,000 residents
In an email sent to 40th Ward residents, Ald. Andre Vasquez wrote that residents can file claims related to stormwater and flood damage with the city clerk. “Investing in smart sewers, in green infrastructure, and in reimagining our park ways so that there are more native plant species will be necessary to address (stormwater) in the future,” Vasquez wrote.
