Saturday, July 26, 2025
Severe upwind conditions successful Chicago connected Friday afternoon, pinch torrential rains is causing to flash flooding, important airdrome delays, and postulation chaos. Travelers are facing aggregate disruptions arsenic complete 5 inches of rainfall fell successful conscionable a fewer hours flooding nan awesome roads, viaducts, and causing a important strain connected nan city’s carrier network. As storms continued into nan night, nan National Weather Service issued aggregate flash flood warnings for nan city’s surrounding areas.
Severe Flash Flooding Restricts Drivers and Causes Flights Delayed
Flash floods struck respective areas, including DuPage, Cook counties, and parts of downtown Chicago, starring to hazardous recreation conditions. On nan ground, drivers connected Interstate 55 knowledgeable flooded roads, pinch video footage showing vehicles struggling done knee-deep waters. Authorities had to instrumentality a ground stop astatine Chicago Midway and O’Hare airports. Inbound and outbound flights were delayed arsenic a consequence of thunderstorms and h2o accumulation connected runways.
One important study elaborate flooding successful Naperville, Burr Ridge, and Washington Park, which, mixed pinch beardown thunderstorms, caused visibility to driblet and roads to go impassable. Despite efforts to pump h2o from flooded viaducts, immoderate locations remained submerged, pinch trapped vehicles requiring rescue.
Impact connected Air Travel: Ground Stops and Delays astatine Major Airports
Travelers astatine Chicago Midway and Chicago O’Hare International Airport faced extended delays owed to nan flooding. Midway reported receiving astir 1.5 inches of rainfall wrong conscionable 37 minutes. In total, nan large wind dumped astir 2.77 inches astatine Midway successful a span of 90 minutes, halting aerial traffic.
These delays came astatine a highest time, exacerbating nan recreation chaos arsenic thousands of passengers were stranded aliases incapable to committee their flights. Passengers connected inbound flights were informed of delays owed to dense thunderstorms successful nan area. Ground unit struggled to negociate nan situation, arsenic nan airfields required clip to clear nan h2o from important operational zones.
Unprecedented Flooding Impacts Local Infrastructure and Roadways
The National Weather Service confirmed that nan flooding caused high h2o levels astatine respective viaducts and underpasses successful nan city, submerging parts of Interstate 55 and different important roadways. Viaducts adjacent Drake Avenue and 47th Street were peculiarly impacted, leaving commuters stranded and creating a hazardous situation for drivers.
In addition, flooding caused terrible disruptions to nan Mount Greenwood area, wherever debased h2o unit resulted from an electrical rumor astatine a pumping station. Local infrastructure struggles compounded nan problems arsenic nan city’s drainage systems became overwhelmed.
Further Travel Disruptions Expected arsenic More Storms Hit Chicago
The upwind forecast predicts continued dense rainfall passim nan weekend. Local meteorologists from ABC7 Chicago warned of different information of storms expected to deed Saturday afternoon, pinch nan anticipation of isolated tornadoes. The upwind work confirmed nan imaginable for further flash flooding, pinch immoderate regions still facing up to 2 inches of rainfall per hour. Travelers were urged to debar non-essential recreation arsenic conditions worsened.
As Chicago recovers from nan first activity of storms, further rainfall is expected to complicate efforts to clear flooded streets and reconstruct normal operations astatine airports. The rain, while expected to taper disconnected by Sunday, is anticipated to worsen postulation and commute conditions crossed nan city.
Government and Weather Authority Advisory for Travelers
The National Weather Service issued an advisory urging residents to return contiguous information measures if they unrecorded on creeks aliases adjacent bodies of water. With much rainfall anticipated, nan Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) reiterated nan value of information during flooding. The authorities provided nan accustomed information tips specified arsenic move around, don’t drown and advised travelers to cheque roadworthy conditions earlier mounting retired connected their journeys.
Further Airport Disruptions
For passengers flying successful aliases retired of Midway aliases O’Hare, officials recommended checking nan position of their flights up of time. With much storms brewing, delays and cancellations are expected to persist passim nan weekend, arsenic crews activity to clear h2o and reconstruct normal airdrome operations.
In related updates, passengers flying pinch American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines faced extended delays, pinch immoderate flights diverted owed to stormy conditions successful nan area. Passengers are being encouraged to corroborate nan position of their flights to debar unnecessary hold times.
Travel Advisory: Airports and Major Roadways Affected
- Chicago Midway and O’Hare Airports: Long delays and impermanent crushed stops person led to important recreation disruptions. Flights departing and arriving from these airports person been delayed by up to 45 minutes.
- Interstate 55: Flooded, pinch roadworthy closures successful spot and motorists trapped successful submerged viaducts.
- Cook and DuPage Counties: Flash flood warnings are still successful effect, and conditions are worsening pinch continuous rainfall expected done nan weekend.