After a long night of not sleeping because of the heavy rainfall, I woke up to the impassable streets of Chicago. The storm drains had begun to overflow, and the entire side of the roads was totally flooded, even to the point where the sidewalks were all covered in rainwater. This had become a familiar scene because of the many storms and the faulty drainage system.
(Recent New Broadcast of the flooding rain in early July 2025)
Geohazards aren't a common occurrence in the city of Chicago. Its inland position shields it from hurricanes, and its large size and geographical location also reduce the likelihood of tornadoes. The only main geohazard in Chicago is flooding because of the mainly flat terrain, and Chicago's heavy rain can overwhelm the drainage system. Chicago uses a combined drainage system, which includes stormwater and sewage together, so during heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms, the drainage system can't handle all that water.
Flooding has gotten so bad in Chicago that more than 8,000 Chicago residents have seen their homes flooded, especially in neighborhoods such as Gage Park and West Englewood. This flooding is more commonly seen in the Southside and West neighborhoods, where the infrastructure is often flawed and limited resources. This further shows the segregation in Chicago, with the distribution of resources to predominantly white neighborhoods and black neighborhoods.
Works Cited
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-weather-torrential-rain-floods-streets-viaducts-creating-traffic-headaches/17031675/
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/basement_floodingpartnership.html
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