A two-punch storm rocked the southwest suburbs and Southwest Side neighborhoods last week that knocked down trees, collapsed construction in Bedford Park, and flooded streets and basements that residents are still cleaning up.
The first punch rolled through Thursday with high winds and rain that felled trees and caused the cancellation of the Willow Springs Car Show and Willow Fest.
High winds knocked down three wall panels at the Chicago Sky training facility under construction in Bedford Park, which will likely delay the completion of the project. No injuries were reported.
“Three panels were knocked down by the wind,” said Joe Ronovsky, chief business officer for Bedford park.
He said structural engineers were going to inspect the project to make sure there were no issues at the construction site due to the weather late last week.
He said Mayor Dave Brady wants the project to remain on schedule for completion by next spring in time for the start of the next WNBA season.
The second punch came Friday when a rainstorm dropped 3 to 6 inches of rain in a narrow band that stretched from Midway Airport to Darien for about four hours. Midway Airport recorded 1.5 inches of rain in only 37 minutes while Bridgeview recorded more than 6 inches of rain in less than two hours.
Streets were turned into rivers with water that submerged vehicles, water seeped into basements and flooded viaducts. Two people had to be rescued Friday after they drove into the flooded Archer Road viaduct near 63rd Street in Summit and stalled.
Summit officials said the area had not seen such heavy levels of rain since July 2023. Officials said the downpour led to severe flooding in some parts of town.
In a statement, the village said “extremely high levels of rainfall in just a few hours overburdened our sewer system and created flooding.”
Residents were advised to keep a record of the damage by taking pictures and listing any damaged or destroyed items. Also note to keep receipts for costs incurred during the flood, such as for hotels, clean-up, replacement and repair.
Special pickups of flood debris in Summit were scheduled with LRS for Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday, July 30, starting at 6 a.m.
The collection is for bagged and containerized trash, as well as manageable flood-damaged bulk items, specifically south of 59th Street and between 73rd and 75th cross streets.
Items over 75 pounds may require special pick-up arrangements and an estimate from LRS by calling 844-633-3577.
Hazardous materials like paint, oils, batteries, propane tanks, and lithium batteries are not accepted in this collection and require special handling.
Southwest Side Ald. Silvana Tabares and Ald. Marty Quinn said city crews were busy picking up damage from the Thursday’s winds and Friday’s rains.
Tabares said residents needing cleanup help should call her 23rd Ward office at 773-582-4444 for assistance.
Quinn and state Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar said bulk pickups of flood debris will start Monday in the 13th Ward and continue through the week. For information, call 773-581-8000 or 773-581-1313.
“If your basement flooded last night, please call 311 or our office,” Quinn said. “It is important that we have a full accounting of the damage to make a case for relief and to understand potential deficiencies in the sewer system.”
“I’ve been in contact with Governor Pritzker and local officials to uplift calls for a state emergency declaration and federal disaster assistance,” said Congressman Chuy García. “Our communities need immediate relief and long-term investments to prevent this kind of flooding from happening again. I’ll keep fighting to make sure our neighborhoods aren’t left behind.”
If you’ve been affected, please report damage to your local ward or municipality and document everything. Garcia’s office is here to help connect you to resources as they become available. They can be reached at 773-475-0833.
