Officials with Chicago's Department of Environment recently released an updated Green Infrastructure Strategy, the first revision to the document in more than a decade.

Since March, multiple rounds of severe storms have caused flooding, plus hail damage and even tornadoes. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, and that moisture can turn into rainfall.

The city of Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois are joining forces to appeal the Trump Administration's denial of federal disaster relief funds that would have supported the recovery from a pair of severe flooding events this past summer.

Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday blamed climate change and a poorly built water management system on the recent flooding impacting the West and Southwest sides.

The National Weather Service is warning of an ongoing threat for flash flooding in the Chicago region through Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning at 9:46 p.m. Tuesday night for Chicago and Cicero and the situation quickly escalated.

Operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, said Monday that they lost 27 campers and counselors, confirming their worst fears after a wall of water slammed into cabins built along the edge of the Guadalupe River.

The South Side community experiences a large amount of flooding made greater than its counterparts on the North Side because of a lack of preventative infrastructure, which can cause significant damage to homes and businesses.

The input from residents will help communities create strategies and take action to reduce the future risk of death, injuries and property damage from natural disasters, officials said.

Flooding is the state’s most threatening natural disaster and touches every corner in Illinois, but communities of color and poorer areas often face the greatest risk — particularly in the city of Chicago and greater Cook County. Sewer and stormwater infrastructure can often no longer handle the onslaught of water that comes from these heavy rainfalls, experts told Illinois Answers.

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, against BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66, Shell and their largest trade association, the American Petroleum Institute.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, renters and homeowners have until 11:59 p.m. Friday to apply for the disaster assistance, which comes more than five months after rain and flooding wreaked havoc around Cook County.

A federal disaster declaration was issued last month in Cook County for severe storms and flooding on Sept. 17 and 18, which significantly impacted the south suburbs of Chicago. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is on Jan. 19, 2024.

Cook County residents have until Oct. 30 to apply for assistance, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, officials said.

Residents of Calumet City are recovering from a second round of flooding in less than three months after more than half a foot of rain fell on the area Sunday.

Facilities are open on the West Side and in nearby suburbs to assist residents applying for federal assistance for damage caused by severe storms that occurred between June 29 and July 2.