Today in Chicago History: Winds reach 82 mph and leave 100,000 homes without power
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
1980: Derecho! The temperature reached a high of 94 degrees — surpassing the previous high for July 5 — at 4 p.m., but dropped to a chilly 64 degrees when a cold front swept in around 11 p.m.
Winds reached 82 mph and left 100,000 homes in the area without power. The most violent wind report came from Northbrook, where half of a roof on a 20-car garage was lifted and then dropped, damaging at least seven cars in a parking shelter for a condominium. No injuries were reported in the Chicago area due to the storm.
2019: The Chicago Defender announced it was ceasing print publication and switching to a digital-only format. It still exists at chicagodefender.com.
The newspaper was founded in 1905 by Robert Sengstacke Abbott, who called it 'The World's Greatest Weekly.' He encouraged Black Americans born and raised in the South — like himself — to move north during the Great Migration of the 20th century. More than two-thirds of the newspaper's readership base was located outside of Chicago by the start of World War I, according to the Defender.
Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
19 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Desperate search for two dozen missing girls from summer camp after Texas floods kill at least 24
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Crews searched through the dark early Saturday for two dozen children from a girls' camp and many others who were still missing after a wall of water rushed down a river in the Texas Hill Country during a powerful storm that killed at least 24 people. The death toll was certain to rise. The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people. The total number of missing was not known but one sheriff said about 24 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' A raging storm woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with floodwaters whipping around their legs, she said. At a news conference late Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people were confirmed dead, including some children. Authorities said about 240 people had been rescued. The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. The Texas Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio, is a popular destination for camping and swimming, especially around the summertime holiday. Questions were being raised about whether enough warnings and preparations were made. Officials defended their actions while saying they had not expected such an intense downpour that was the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. One National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches (76 to 152 millimeters) of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. 'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' he said. Helicopters, drones used in frantic search for missing A river gauge near Camp Mystic recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 meters) in about two hours, said Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office. The gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet (9 meters). 'The water's moving so fast, you're not going to recognize how bad it is until it's on top of you,' Fogarty said. More than 1,000 rescuers were on the ground. Rescue teams, helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being plucked from trees. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters were flying in to assist. 'Pitch black wall of death' In Ingram, Erin Burgess woke to thunder and rain in the middle of the night Friday. Just 20 minutes later, water was pouring into her home from the river, she said. She described an agonizing hour clinging to a tree with her teenage son and waiting for the water to recede enough to walk up the hill to safety. 'Thankfully he's over 6 feet tall. That's the only thing that saved me, was hanging on to him,' she said. 'My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,' she said. Matthew Stone, 44, of Kerrville, said police came knocking on doors but that he had received no warning on his phone. 'We got no emergency alert. There was nothing," Stone said. Then "a pitch black wall of death.' 'I was scared to death' At a reunification center in Ingram, families cried and cheered as loved ones got off rescue vehicles. Two soldiers carried an older woman who could not get down a ladder. Behind her, a woman clutched a small white dog. Later, a girl in a white 'Camp Mystic' T-shirt and white socks stood in a puddle, sobbing in her mother's arms. Barry Adelman said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson. Water started coming through the attic floor before receding. 'I was horrified,' he said. 'I was having to look at my grandson in the face and tell him everything was going to be OK, but inside I was scared to death.' 'No one knew this kind of flood was coming' The forecast for the weekend had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight Friday for at least 30,000 people. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area. 'Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we're not exactly sure where it's going to land," Patrick said. "Obviously as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that's when the storm started to zero in.' Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official, said: 'We do not have a warning system.' When pushed on why more precautions weren't taken, Kelly said no one knew this kind of flood was coming. More pockets of heavy rains expected The slow-moving storm stuck over central Texas is expected to bring more rain Saturday, with the potential for pockets of heavy downpours and more flooding, said Jason Runyen, of the National Weather Service. The threat could linger overnight and into Sunday morning, he said. Popular tourism area prone to flooding The area is known as 'flash flood alley' because of the hills' thin layer of soil, said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster. 'When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,' Dickson said. 'It rushes down the hill.' River tourism industry is a key part of the Hill Country economy. Well-known, century-old summer camps bring in kids from all over the country, Dickson said. 'It's generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,' Dickson said.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Storm tracker: Tropical Storm Chantal forms; heavy rains headed for coastal Carolinas
Tropical Storm Chantal formed off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, June 5, as the National Hurricane Center warned of heavy rainfall across the coastal Carolinas. The center said tropical storm conditions could start Saturday evening and continue through Sunday morning. The biggest impact on the Carolinas is expected to be locally heavy rainfall, with isolated flooding through Sunday. Moderate flooding could occur east of Interstate 95, and that could prompt evacuations or rescues, said the National Weather Service office in Wilmington. Life threatening rip currents are possible at all beaches in the region through Sunday with breaking wave heights of six feet likely. The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and will last through the end of November. Active hurricane weather typically peaks between mid-August and mid-October. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends. Prepare now for hurricanes: Here's what you should do to stay safe before a storm arrives Develop an evacuation plan: If you are at risk from hurricanes, you need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there. Assemble disaster supplies: Whether you're evacuating or sheltering-in-place, you're going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for the potentially lengthy aftermath, NOAA said. Get an insurance checkup and document your possessions: Contact your insurance company or agent now and ask for an insurance check-up to make sure you have enough insurance to repair or even replace your home and/or belongings. Remember, home and renters insurance doesn't cover flooding, so you'll need a separate policy for it. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent, or the National Flood Insurance Program. Act now, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period. Create a family communication plan: NOAA said to take the time now to write down your hurricane plan, and share it with your family. Determine family meeting places, and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation. Strengthen your home: Now is the time to improve your home's ability to withstand hurricane impacts. Trim trees; install storm shutters, accordion shutters, and/or impact glass; seal outside wall openings. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storm tracker: Tropical Storm Chantal forms; see forecast path
CBS News
25 minutes ago
- CBS News
Tropical Storm Chantal forms off South Carolina's coast
Tropical Storm Chantal formed Saturday morning about 150 miles off the coast of South Carolina, prompting tropical storm warnings for portions of the Carolinas. The National Weather Service in Miami said the storm was located south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina and about 240 miles south-southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving at about 2 mph. Forecasters said the storm is expected to turn to the northeast by Sunday night and the center of Chantal is expected to move across the coast of South Carolina that day. "Some additional strengthening is expected before Chantal reaches the coast," the NWS said. This is the 5-day prediction cone for Tropical Storm Chantal. NOAA/National Hurricane Center Tropical storm warnings were issued from the South Santee River in South Carolina to Cape Fear, North Carolina, while a tropical storm watch was issued from Edisto Beach to the South Santee River. Forecasters expect Chantal to produce heavy rainfall across portions of the coastal plain of the Carolinas through Monday with a total rainfall of two to four inches, with local amounts up to six inches. This could result in flash flooding. The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 until Nov. 30, with peak activity typically occurring between mid-August and mid-October. NOAA officials predicted a 60% chance of an "above-normal" Atlantic hurricane season, with between 13 to 19 named storms. Six to 10 of those are expected to strengthen into hurricanes, and three to five could become major hurricanes, forecasters said.
