Heavy rain could cause flooding in Chicago area, followed by chance of thunderstorms
Waves of soaking rain are expected throughout the day on Thursday in Chicago, increasing the risk for flooding before a round of storms moves in later in the day.
Heavy rain began late Wednesday and continued into Thursday, snarling the morning rush and straining the city's drainage system. Friends of the Chicago River and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago called an overflow action day Wednesday, asking residents to take action to prevent basement flooding and overloading the city's water system in preparation for the heavy rain.
Residents are asked to delay taking showers and baths, flush their toilets less frequently, and wait to run the dishwasher or washing machine to help reduce the stress on the city's water systems as they are inundated by rain.
As the day moves on, rain will diminish into scattered showers with the possibility of a few storms in the afternoon that could bring some rumbles of thunder. Those showers will continue to diminish through the night and into Friday.
Many parts of Chicago are low-lying and prone to flooding, and while the area's drainage systems have been vastly improved, heavy rains and floods still cause sewage overflow to be released into the Chicago River, an ongoing problem city officials continue to work to find solutions for.
