While there is no sign a landslide or rock fall will happen in Chicago anytime soon, one thing the city has to be worried about is flooding. According to the Weather Channel, Chicago sees an average of 3.68 in of precipitation during July. On July 14th, 2010, when nearly 7 inches of rain fell the city witnessed its most recent flood, causing the Chicago River to overflow and put 12 Illinois Counties on Disaster Alert
Chicago Residents obviously have not listened to Professor Allen. "Don't be a macho when you drive!"
The Chicago Tribune estimated the total damage of the flood to be over $12 Million. The flood was caused by high drainage density and because the massive city is full of concrete structures and roads, low permeability because there was nowhere for the water to go. Flooding roads like the picture above as well as basements and buildings, the water caused a great deal of damage for residents.
A system of locks was built in the early 1900’s in order to prevent unsanitary water to flow into Lake Michigan. However the massive flooding in July forced the locks to be opened in order to drain the water from the city. This created a problem however, not only were Chicago residents affected by the flood, they were now affected by the unsanitary water in the lake.
Even if residents were not affected by the floods, they were now affected as a result. The Lake Michigan beachfront was closed because of the bacteria and pollutants in the rivers. Polluted waters were the reason for building the locks; however a high density and low permeability made it impossible to keep the locks closed.
The map above shows the Chicago River as well as surrounding rivers and streams. While the Chicago River runs right through the city, there is only a few other rivers than can help drain the river while flooded. The Chicago River is a first order tributary leading into Lake Michigan.
While Chicago may not be known for its geography, the River flowing through out the massive city has proved that intense rain can cause plenty of damage.
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