The following events were reported: Flash Flood, Flood, Heavy Rain, Lightning, Thunderstorm Wind. These occurred near station USW00014819, approximately 16.9414 km away, between 2010-07-23 17:05:00 and 2010-07-24 21:00:00. The flood was caused by Heavy Rain. Thankfully, no injuries or fatalities were reported. The events caused property damage valued at 253765000.0 and crop damage of 0.0. Episode Narrative: Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours of July 23rd producing strong winds. Additional thunderstorms developed in the late evening of July 23rd and lasted in the early morning hours of July 24th producing very heavy rain and widespread flash flooding in many parts of the Chicago Metro Area. Rainfall rates were as much as two to three inches per hour in some areas. Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours of July 23rd producing strong winds. Event Narrative: Numerous ten inch diameter healthy tree limbs were blown down. Numerous power lines were also blown down. Large trees and power lines were blown down on the west side of Joliet. Shingles were blown off the roof of a house. Lightning apparently struck a pole at a bank on Burlington Avenue. This pole then fell onto a chimney and then the chimney fell over, damaging a roof. Several pieces of electronic equipment were no longer working after the strike, including credit card readers. After heavy rain and flash flooding during the early morning hours of July 24th, flooding continued through the evening hours in several areas of north central Cook County. Very heavy rain fell across much of north central Cook County producing widespread flooding and flash flooding during the early morning hours of July 24th. Hundreds of streets and thousands of basements were flooded. Numerous homes were surrounded by flood waters with water damage on the first floor. Several hundred vehicles were submerged or floating in flood waters, many were a total loss. Areas that suffered some of the most widespread flooding and extensive damage included Westchester, Western Springs, La Grange, Oak Park, Bellwood, Riverside, Berwyn, Brookfield, Hillside and Forest Park. In Westchester, 40 residents were evacuted by boat when their homes were completed surrounded by flood waters. In Hillside, 56 residents of a convalescent home were evacuated onto a bus because of flood waters. The bus then became stranded in flood waters and was pushed out by a front-end loader. Twelve feet of water (which was overflow from the Chicago River) flooded the basement of a 17-story building in River City in Chicago. No structural damage was reported but 80 to 90 cars in the basement were a total loss. Portions of both Interstate 94 and Interstate 290 were closed due to flooding, including Interstate 290 just east of Des Plaines Avenue in Forest Park. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago estimated that over 60 billion gallons of water fell on Chicago and parts of Cook County, which quickly filled all 190 miles of the Deep Tunnel system. Once this tunnel filled, floodgates were opened in Wilmette and on the Chicago River, releasing untreated stormwater into Lake Michigan. Storm total rainfall amounts inclueded 7.89 inches one mile southwest of Oak Park; 6.43 inches at O'Hare Airport; 6.16 inches one mile northeast of Countryside; 5.84 inches about a half mile southwest of La Grange Park; 5.82 inches one mile west of Stickney; 5.58 inches near Streamwood; 5.47 inches two miles northwest of Melrose Park and 5.19 inches a half mile northwest of Des Plaines. A house on Essington Road was struck by lightning and set on fire. The roof of an auto body shop on Western Avenue collapsed during the afternoon of July 24th. The exact cause of the collapse was not known but heavy rain that fell across the area during the early morning hours of July 24th was the likely cause of the collapse. Six cars inside the shop were damaged. The roof of a storage facility near 66th Street and Narragansett partially collapsed during heavy rain which fell during the early morning hours of July 24th.