The official site at O'Hare airport recorded 3.97 inches of rainfall yesterday. This was the third-greatest June calendar-day rainfall total on record for Chicago and the city's 12th-wettest calendar day rainfall ever. Generally the northern half of the metro area received 3 inches or more rainfall which triggered widespread flooding of creeks and streams and many road closures. Much of this rain fell during the morning hours, but the approach of a cold front triggered severe storms later in the afternoon and evening hours that not only featured downpours and renewed flooding, but strong, damaging winds that knocked down trees and power lines, further snarling traffic. The city of Chicago alone reported 350 tree emergencies, and 61 traffic signal outages, mainly on the north side. Rockford airport reported an amazing 3.25 inches of rain in just one hour, between 6 and 7PM nearly equaling Chicago's record of 3.34 inches in one hour recorded back on June 13, 1976.
Southeastern Wisconsin also hard hit
Doppler radar indicated widespread storm totals well in excess of 3 inches over southeastern Wisconsin and a weather observer in Racine, Wisconsin recorded a 24-hour rain total of 6.93 inches. Storm spotters out of the Milwaukee Weather Service Office reported a tornado touchdown five miles west of Kenosha around 6PM Friday afternoon.
