Sunday’s heavy rains in Chicago trapped cars in the streets, causing NASCAR officials to postpone the second half of an Xfinity Series race that was scheduled to pass through the city’s core.
The National Weather Service issued a warning that the flooding in the Chicago area might be ‘life-threatening,’ citing multiple blocked roads, overflowing creeks and streams, and flooded basements. According to the NWS website, Cicero and Berwyn suburbs received up to 6 inches of rain by midday.
By evening, most flood alerts had expired. According to the Illinois State Police, portions of Interstates 55 and 290 are closed due to flooding, and at least 10 cars are submerged on Interstate 55 close to Pulaski Road, a significant north-south route in the city.
Additionally, trains were stopped in various areas of the city. When Katera Fisher tried to drive through the rising water, her car ‘just started floating.’ ‘So, my first reaction was to try and get out of the car. I opened the door, and the water started flooding my feet,’ Fisher told WLS-TV.
After the action was stopped on Saturday due to lightning, NASCAR officials intended to finish the second part of an Xfinity Series race through the city’s downtown on Sunday morning. Around noon on Sunday, they declared Cole Custer the winner and announced they had decided to call off the race due to the rain.
On Sunday afternoon, the NASCAR Cup Series race began passing through the city. The midday game between the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field is still starting late.
A storm system was pinwheeling above the region rather than heading east, according to Ricky Castro, a meteorologist with the NWS Chicago office in the nearby town of Romeoville, giving it time to draw moisture from the sky and cause significant rainfall. He claimed that the amount of concrete in the urban region prevents rain from permeating the ground and causes flooding.
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