CHICAGO — Heavy storms pounded Chicago on Sunday, flooding basements and alleys, closing grocery shops and restaurants, and leaving automobiles stranded beneath viaducts on roadways impassable due to high water.
The unusual weather caught the city off guard, particularly the North Side of Chicago. According to Kevin Doom, a National Weather Service meteorologist, nearly five inches of rain had fallen by late afternoon.
“This has been a disaster,” he admitted. “The water surged swiftly this morning, catching many people off unprepared.”
A rainstorm that hammered the Chicago area all day Sunday, Sept. 11, caused water pipes to explode and cars to block on city streets.
A Flash Flood Warning was already issued until 12:30 p.m. On Sunday, the majority of Cook County will be on local time. Just before 10:30 a.m., local law enforcement reported flash flooding in sections of north Chicago. According to the National Weather Service, further flooding on highways was recorded approximately an hour later.
According to Block Club Chicago, hundreds of residents reported that their basements were flooded, with some reporting as much as 6 inches of water. At least 2 feet of water had pooled beneath a Metra line near Chicago, causing cars to stall.
#urbangeyser #chicago #uptown #flashflood@weatherchannel @NWSChicago pic.twitter.com/ZOjl35QJYB
— Michael Salvatore (@mikeysal1) September 11, 2022
Cars were stuck in rains at certain junctions when motorists drove across suddenly flooded roads. Homeowners whose basements had not seen water in years were dismayed to discover that rainfall had surged up via drains, producing an ankle-deep flood with a foul sewage odour in some cases. Flooding forced the closure of grocery stores, and some companies were unable to open at all.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot recommended Chicagoans not to utilize dishwashers or washing machines to avoid unnecessary flooding. She also advised people to avoid swimming in Lake Michigan due to large waves and hazardous circumstances.
Chicago is prone to flash floods when its drainage system overflows, but this storm put the city under exceptional strain, according to officials and citizens.
Ravenswood Manor, located just east of the I-90/I-94 interchange, reported 4.32 inches of rain in 3 hours late Sunday morning. Several other neighbourhoods in the city, including West Ridge, Harwood Heights, and Portage Park, received more than 2.5 inches of rain.
Before a Chicago Bears game at Solider Field, stadium workers were observed using squeegees to try to clear extra water off the field. Rain rained intermittently during the game, peaking in intensity near the end of the fourth quarter, when a substantial amount of water was visible pooling on the field.
Late Saturday, the storm moved into the Midwest, delivering heavy rain and thunderstorms to Wisconsin and Illinois. By Sunday morning, communities from Madison and Milwaukee to Chicago and Bloomington had been soaked.