Natural Disaster in Chicago
The city of Chicago is now facing a challenge that has negatively affected a lot of residents from different communities. An issue that, in fact, a natural disaster has left behind. In this case, it was the amount of rainfall that there was.
Natural disasters can for sure do a lot of damage to properties. And when they occur, they do not discriminate at all; they damage whatever and however much they can.
As mentioned above, Chicago was one city that had an overwhelming amount of rain this summer of 2023. July, especially, has been a month where a lot of communities have been struggling because of all the damage that the rainfall has caused, after flooding their living spaces and properties. The flooding amounts did not just flood properties, but they also flooded streets like those in Cicero.
Damage Caused After Rainfall Flooding
On July 2, Chicago documented a record-setting rainstorm totaling nine inches of rain, in some parts of the city. Due to this severe rainstorm, there was a shocking amount of 12,000 basement floodings reported to 311, the city’s non-emergency helpline. Thousands of additional reports poured into the hotline throughout July.
From July 2 to July 18, more than 12,000 basement flooding reports were filed. In just about two weeks, there were thousands of reports.
In fact, according to a WBEZ analysis, there were more filed reports of flooded basements in 2023 than in all 2021 and 2022 combined.
People Are Desperate and Frustrated
Cicero is an area of Chicago where flooding affects many residents. The rainstorm left them with destroyed properties and belongings.
Everyone that was affected was angry and demanded answers from Cicero public officials. Admittedly, town officials claimed their homes flooded as well.
Even though they were giving their empathetic stories, people did not care. Residents wanted answers and action to fix this issue. Additionally, Cicero officials also said that Chicago, Berwyn, and Oak Park residents were also experiencing this flooding crisis. They said that the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District manages stormwater for all of these areas.
All residents want is to prevent this from happening again in the future and to fix what happened in this record-breaking rain storm. The reason is that it has taken people weeks to fix all the damaged property.
The Cicero Town President plans to hold a town hall meeting with the Water Reclamation District to get more answers on why this was allowed to happen and to prevent it from occurring again.
Brandon Johnson Seeks a Disaster Relief
Many people in different areas of Chicago were affected and are dealing with lots of belongings being destroyed, and they want their voices to be heard. The residents want a way to fix these damages, which is why Chicago is seeking disaster relief.
Furthermore, even Mayor Brandon Johnson also recognized that the storm was “unprecedented” and he promised to help residents recover from this damage.
Insight of Affected Victims
A lot of residents spoke up about the consequences that they have to go through after the rainstorm disaster. For instance, Trish Green, who is 59 years old and shared her story. She was going to do laundry, and that’s when she noticed the disaster.
Green expressed how she couldn’t believe her eyes. Her basement held three feet of flood water. She stated, “It’s almost like a mental paralysis, cause you’re like, well, where do I go from here?”
A nearby resident added, “Clearly the Earth is speaking to us loud and clear, where extreme weather is taking place all over the country.”
Mari Perez, a Little Village resident, also complained about how flooded the street was in Cicero. She explained she and her family were driving to an event she had by Cicero. However, as they neared, they noticed the crisis of even cars being flooded in the middle of the road.
Written by Jeanette Sanchez
Sources:
ABC7 EYEWITNESS NEWS: Cook County disaster proclamation issued as residents call for answers after flash flooding
CHICAGO SUN TIMES: “Where do I go from here?”: Over 12,000 basement flooding reports were filed with 311 after record rainfall in July
NBC5CHICAGO: Chicago to seek disaster relief after thousands of basements flood over weekend
Interview: Mari Perez; July 26, 2023.
Featured Image Courtesy of Jerry Posluszny Flickr Page-Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Kurayba Flickr Page-Creative Commons License
