Record rainfall floods Chicago, halts CTA trains, causes power outages
Record-setting rainfall left more than 7,000 people without power Sunday across the area and forced the Chicago Transit Authority to shut down two train lines.
The National Weather Service issued a warning for "significant, life-threatening flooding" in the city and nearby suburbs Sunday morning. Flash flood warnings for Chicago, Oak Lawn and Cicero were in effect until 6:30 p.m.
By noon, O'Hare airport had recorded 2.27 inches of rain, breaking Chicago's previous record for July 2 of 2.06 inches set in 1982, according to the weather service. More than 7 inches of rain have fallen in some areas.
More than 7,000 people were reportedly without power as of 1:05 p.m., according to a ComEd outage map. That number decreased to under 5,000 by 2:50 p.m.
Blue Line trains were halted between UIC/Halsted and Forest Park shortly after 11 a.m. and began to run again about 3:25 p.m. before trains were again halted between UIC/Halsted and Kedzie less than half an hour later, according to the CTA. Pink Line trains between Pulaski and 54th/Cermak remained shut down well into the afternoon.