Remnants of Hurricane Beryl leave streets flooded, drivers stranded in Chicago area
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The remnants of former Hurricane Beryl pounded the Chicago area Tuesday evening—with the Far South Side, south suburbs, and Northwest Indiana being hit hardest.
As of 10 p.m., rain was falling all around the Chicago area—though in the city, the rain remained light. But as the remnants of Beryl advanced, heavier pockets moved into Northwest Indiana.
In Hammond, the rain had been off and on for most of the latter part of the day and the evening, but had been going nonstop since 8 p.m.
Streets were left flooded, and some drivers were caught by surprise. In East Chicago, Indiana, Emmett Seymour took a chance and drove through a flood, and ended up finding himself in need of a tow truck.
"A little bit high, man," Seymour said. "I just got caught up in it—that's all."
The intersection where Seymour got stuck proved to be dangerous.
"The water started to come in a little bit, but it wasn't too high," he said.
Across the region, many drivers took the risk amid the heavy downpours. At 130th and Stony Island Avenue on the Far South Side of the city, vehicle after vehicle had to maneuver through standing water.
The ability of drivers to maneuver was why Seymour felt comfortable following the other cars in East Chicago.
"It was cars smaller than mine that went through the water—so I figured, you know what I'm saying, I probably could make it through," Seymour said, "but I underestimated it, I guess."
Seymour was not alone in finding himself stranded and in need of help.
"It's very busy in traffic," said a tow truck operator who added that he had picked up three or four cars late Tuesday. "It's very dangerous."
Seymour's van was hoisted into the flatbed of the operator's tow truck late Tuesday. As he jumped into the passenger seat, he sent a message to anyone who might run into flash floods and high water on the road.
"Do not!" he said. "If you see the water splashing higher than the car when you go through it, don't go through. I just ask anybody, man, just be safe—be careful."
That especially stands true at night, when it is not easy to see how standing water might be.
There were no reports of injuries or serious problems as a result of the floods, though Seymour likely has some major damage to his vehicle.
The stormy conditions were also likely to blame for other problems in the area. CBS News Chicago found a tree down at 103rd Street and Fairfield Avenue in the Beverly neighborhood.
The Ford Chicago Assembly Plant at 12600 S. Torrence Ave. was affected by flooding Tuesday afternoon. Ford said the plant went on a brief work pause due to a small amount of standing water, but was never evacuated—and was back to full operation by the evening.
A wet Wednesday morning commute is expected.
