Residents of Chicago were left reeling by severe flooding over the weekend as the city began mopping up the damage on Monday as more weather warnings are forecast.
NASCAR was forced to delay and shorten a race in Chicago as torrential rain battered the Illinois city on Sunday, while footage shared by horrified residents showed flooded roads and houses, submerged cars, and burst riverbanks. The deluge came just weeks after parts of Illinois were hit with water restrictions as the result of a drought.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued hazardous weather alerts for more than 110 million Americans during the extended Fourth of July holiday weekend. Chicago bore the brunt of the rising water levels on Sunday, but the city's misery is not over yet as forecasters warn that more rain is due to fall this week.
The news comes amid fears that climate change is set to make extreme weather patterns worse, with a series of researchers and scientists telling Newsweek their grim predictions for the future. Many believe that more thunderstorms and floods are likely, along with tornadoes, hurricanes and droughts.
As the storm rained down on Chicago on Sunday, the city was brought to a standstill.
Some trains were also unable to operate and the Illinois State Police said parts of Interstate 55 and I-290 were closed because of flooding. At least 10 cars were trapped in floodwater on I-55.
Katera Fisher told WLS-TV that her car "just started floating" when she tried to drive through high water, according to the Associated Press.
"So, my first reaction was to try and get out of the car," Fisher said. "I opened the door, and the water started flooding my feet."
One Twitter user, posting under the name ChicagoFoodieTM, shared a clip showing a flooded home that they said belonged to their wife's grandmother.
"Basement is flooded all the way to the first floor," the post read.
The footage showed household goods floating in the dirty water, which covered the lower part of the stairs.
Footage filmed by a drone operated by a videographer working for Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers showed waterlogged roads across the city.
Twitter user Rashid Ghazi shared a clip showing several stranded cars, stuck on a road that looked more like a river with water reaching almost to one unfortunate driver's engine.
Chicago northern suburban friends. Avoid taking 90/94 into Chicago. Flooding by Foster and Peterson exits heading East/South into the City. #chicago #ChicagoStreetRace #chicagorain #edens pic.twitter.com/frpqpBqxv1
— Rashid Ghazi (@rashghazi) July 2, 2023
WBBM-TV reporter Shardaa Gray shared footage that showed how high the levels were in the city's waterways.
"Just insane," she tweeted. "The river walk between Lake and State St is closed due to flooding. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says to reduce the overbank flooding, they have reversed the flow of the Chicago area waterway system."
Just insane. The river walk between Lake and State St is closed due to flooding. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says to reduce the overbank flooding, they have reversed the flow of the Chicago area waterway system. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/rLiootbTWA
— Shardaa Gray (@ShardaaGrayTV) July 2, 2023
The NWS warned that flash floods could prove "life-threatening," but there have been no reports of fatalities. Its Weather Prediction Center released a forecast on Monday morning, warning that some parts of the U.S. are set for more rain.
"A low pressure wave currently moving across the lower Great Lakes is forecast to move into New England and gradually weaken through the next couple of days," the forecast said. "Very warm and moist air ahead of the system will continue to promote scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout much of the eastern U.S. today. Areas of locally heavy rain are possible within a broad shower/storm activity especially early today with greater chances for flash flooding closer to a stationary boundary extending from the lower Great Lakes to southern New England."
After warning California, the desert Southwest and West Coast that they will see heat that could be "dangerous if spending an extended amount of time outdoors," the forecast returned to the topic of rain for other parts of the country.
"Elsewhere, thunderstorm chances remain across the central and southern High Plains today, with potential for localized heavy rain and damaging wind gusts," the forecast said. "A potent cold front entering the northern Plains will spark another area of scattered thunderstorms extending from south-central Montana to the Upper Midwest."
