national weather service chicago area
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Earlier, flooding also closed down parts of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94) and the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/I-94), police said. In the city, train service on the CTA's Blue, Orange and Pink lines were disrupted. Blue Line trains are operating between Halsted and O'Hare, but because of flooding, there is no service between Forest Park and Halsted, according to CTA spokeswoman Kim Myles.
The heavy rains — which dumped an estimated 60 billion gallons of water on Chicago and parts of Cook County — filled all 190 miles of the Deep Tunnel system, said Terry O'Brien, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The district opened floodgates early Saturday in Wilmette and on the Chicago River to release stormwater into Lake Michigan, O'Brien said, which has prompted a swimming ban at all beaches based on water quality, according to the Chicago Park District Web site.
The most severe case of flooding reported in the suburbs was west suburban Westchester, where much of the village is under water. With water up to the waist in some areas, up to the rooftops of cars in others and filling up viaducts all the way through, the village of Westchester is in complete disaster mode, according to Village President Sam Pulia. Flooding began about 1 a.m. and by 5:30 a.m., robo calls to residents informing them of necessary evacuations were put in place, Pulia said.
No one has been reported injured as of 9 a.m. The number of water rescues from people stranded in cars and their homes with basements under three to six feet of water was in the hundreds. At least 30 to 35 people “with no place to go” were being housed at the village hall and firehouse community rooms, Pulia said.
Coffee was being provided as a small bit of comfort. Calling the situation “helpless” and “decimated,” Pulia also said several emergency crews were also halted as the flooding prevented them from reaching the scene. Addison Creek and a retention pond on the south side of the village was overflowing as the major intersection of South Mannheim and West Roosevelt roads remained completely under water, Pulia said. The sewers are fully charged.
A total of 45,500 customers were without power as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday --25,000 of them in the city, 11,500 in the northern suburbs, 3,000 in the western suburbs, and 6,000 in the southern suburbs, ComEd spokeswoman Laura Micheli said. Midway Airport reported the highest total of rainfall at 7.51 inches, National Weather Service Stephen Rodriguez said.
According to unofficial measurements recorded by cooperative observers throughout the area, eight suburban communities have seen more than 7 inches of rain Saturday.
Thirteen more suburbs saw more than 6 inches of precipitation while 22 communities were drenched with more than 5 inches of rain, according to the weather service's Web site. Oak Park led all Illinois suburbs with 7.89 inches of rain, followed by Midway International Airport with 7.51 inches and Carol Stream with 7.28 inches, according to the Web site.
A flood warning currently in effect for Kane, DuPage, northern Cook counties has been extended until 10 p.m., according to the weather service, while a flood warning is in effect until 7 p.m. for Lake and McHenry counties. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect in Will County in Illinois, and Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana.
— STM
