Chicago Weather Havoc: Basement Flooding, Downed Trees, and Outages After Severe Storms

Chicago was hit hard by Monday’s storms, with as much as 3 inches of rain at Midway and about 2 inches at O’Hare plus 74 mph winds, triggering a flash flood warning. The OEMC logged hundreds of calls for water in basements (238), water on streets (286), and flooded viaducts (17), alongside more than 770 tree-emergency calls and over 2,600 power outages across Cook County. Residents reported downed trees (including a Beverly tree that fell on a car) and downed power lines in Belmont Cragin. Officials urged reporting flooding via 311 and offered safety guidance: don’t enter flood waters, shut off power, and check sump pumps; if the sump pump fails or the sewer backs up, flooding can worsen. The piece also notes the Rainblocker program’s ongoing efforts to curb sewer capacity issues and emphasizes Chicago’s flat terrain contributing to flood risk; no injuries were reported.