How many people died in the Chicago flood?
It was caused when the damaged wall of a utility tunnel beneath the Chicago River opened into a breach which flooded basements and underground facilities throughout the Chicago Loop with an estimated 250 million US gallons (950,000 m3) of water. No one was killed or hurt during the incident.
What caused the Great Chicago Flood?
The Chicago flood occurred on April 13, 1992, when repair work on a bridge spanning the Chicago River damaged the wall of an abandoned and disused utility tunnel beneath the river.
When did Chicago tunnels flood?
April 13, 1992
Monday marks the 28th anniversary of the Great Chicago Flood. On April 13, 1992, nearly 250 million gallons of water rushed into the Loop’s underground system after a construction crew accidentally breached an old freight train tunnel.
Has there ever been a flood in Chicago?
Flooding of rivers in the Chicago area is a natural phenomenon. Flood events of historical significance have occurred across the region during 1849, 1855, 1885, 1938, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1973, 1979, 1986, 1987, and 1996. Most record-setting flood stages and discharges in the region have been recorded since 1948.
How big was the flood in Chicago in 1992?
(January 2010) The Chicago flood occurred on April 13, 1992, when the damaged wall of a utility tunnel beneath the Chicago River opened into a breach which flooded basements, facilities and the underground Chicago Pedway throughout the Chicago Loop with an estimated 250 million US gallons (1,000,000 m3) of water.
How big was the hole in the Chicago River?
Workers attempted to plug the hole, by then about 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, with 65 truckloads of rocks, cement and old mattresses. In an attempt to slow the leak, the level of the Chicago River was lowered by opening the locks downstream of Chicago, and the freight tunnels were drained into the Chicago Deep Tunnel system.
Why did the Chicago Bridge have to be replaced?
However, when the City of Chicago specified that the old pilings be extracted and replaced by the new ones, the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company reported back that the old pilings were too close to the bridge tender’s house, preventing proper removal without risking damaging or destroying the house.