Chicago: Massive Rains Create Widespread Flooding, Delays

[MineralMan]

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/04/18/massive-rains-leads-to-widespread-flooding-delays/

CHICAGO (CBS) — Massive rains have created widespread flash flooding all across the Chicago area, closing expressways and submerging numerous streets and viaducts.

There is a flash flood warning in effect for the entire Chicago area and Northwest Indiana until noon. The national weather service has issued a flash flood emergency for DuPage and Cook counties.

More at link...

[MineralMan]

1. More on Chicago Flash Flooding

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-flooding-20130418,0,5889145.story

Chicago flooding: Expressways shut, flights grounded, schools closed

Flooding spawned by as much as 5 inches of rain closed the Edens, Eisenhower and Kennedy expressways during the morning rush as waves of thunderstorms raked across the Chicago area.

The storms also forced the cancellation of more than 300 of flights and closed hundreds of schools in the Chicago area. Metra reported stopped trains and delays on nearly every line.

...

A sinkhole opened up this morning in the 9600 block of South Houston Avenue in the South Deering neighborhood on the Southeast Side, swallowing three cars. Officials would not say whether it was related to the weather.

...

In Hillside, the Oak Ridge Nursing Home in the 500 Block of North Wolf Road was being evacuated because of flooding, according to Hillside Police Chief Joe Lukaszek. He said more than 100 people were being moved out of the nursing home.

More at link...

[MineralMan]

2. Sinkhole Swallows three cars. One injured in Chicago flooding..Photo

http://www.trbimg.com/img-516fe08c/turbine/chi-sinkhole-swallows-3-cars-20130418-001/600/600x338

Photo is not imbeddable. Click link to view

[CanonRay]

3. My house flooded twice when I was a kid in Chicago

Eight feet of water in the basement, right up to the top stair. The nearby creek was pouring down our driveway.

[MineralMan]

4. I hate flooded basements. So far, so good, though.

With the snow melt and the rains here in the Twin Cities of MN, my basement sump pump is kicking on about every five minutes.

[CanonRay]

6. I remember sump pumps

I hated those things. In my first house as an adult, it used to get stuck, and I had to go down in the crawl space in the middle of the night and work on it, with my feet in cold water. Got so I woke up every time it kicked on. I do not miss that.

[frazzled]

5. I'm glad I live on the sixth floor

The storms woke me up early, around 5 am. Then later, it turned pitch dark and became a relentless downpour again.

I can't even imagine how bad it was to be on the Edens or Eisenhower or Kennedy expwys this morning. They're horrible to begin with. Imagine being stuck trying to get to work and seeing the water rise around you to boot.

Ack! These showers better bring May flowers. But who is to complain, when so many have lost lives or limbs this week in Boston and Texas. It's just a little rain.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. It's a mess out there right now

Drove my littlest one to daycare and wife to the L at about 7:15. Not too bad. Then another nasty T storm ripped through the North Side, 7:30-8:00. Took my other one to school at 8:05, and the very same roads I had driven an hour before were flooed with two feet of water, at least. It's unbelievable.

[MineralMan]

8. Flash flooding is very dangerous.

Be careful!