Federal Emergency Management Agency had just opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Calumet City Sept. 14 to assist people with claims from flooding that happened in July. (Facebook / City of Calumet City)

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.

A cyclist tops a hill on a hot day at sunset, Aug. 20, 2023, in San Antonio. (AP Photo / Eric Gay, File)

Last month was not only the hottest August scientists ever recorded by far with modern equipment, it was also the second hottest month measured, behind only July 2023, WMO and the European climate service Copernicus announced Wednesday.

Members of the Tampa Fire Rescue Dept., remove a street pole after large awnings from an apartment building blew off from winds associated with Hurricane Idalia Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Idalia made landfall earlier this morning along the Big Bend of the state. (AP Photo / Chris O’Meara)

As the eye moved inland, high winds shredded signs, blew off roofs, sent sheet metal flying and snapped tall trees. One person was killed in Georgia. No hurricane-related deaths were officially confirmed in Florida, but the Florida Highway Patrol reported two people dying in separate weather-related crashes just hours before Idalia made landfall.

(WTTW News)

Chicago is one of 18 cities participating in the Heat Watch 2023 program with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in which community volunteers collect temperature and humidity data to analyze for underlying reasons and potential mitigation efforts.

The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park is pictured in a file photo. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

On Thursday, Chicago notched its first official 100-degree day since 2012 and tied a daily high set nearly 80 years ago, according to the National Weather Service.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Cooling centers and splash pads are open to help people cope with oppressive heat that will feel like 115 degrees.

An aerial view of Barcelona, Spain, a city trialing various urban interventions to reduce the impact of soaring temperatures. (Manel Subirats / iStockphoto / Getty Images  via CNN)

Despite knowing about the perils of global warming for decades, many cities are proving to be woefully unprepared. Many solutions are based on time-tested design principles. Here are five things cities are doing right now to combat rising temperatures. 

(Pixabay)

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Wednesday and Thursday, when the combination of high temperatures and oppressive humidity are expected to create dangerous conditions.

Flooded streets in Chicago are pictured on July 2, 2023. (Paris Schutz / WTTW News)

Cook County residents are now eligible for assistance, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, officials said.

A man walks through wildfire wreckage Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Rick Bowmer / AP Photo)

Dogs trained to find bodies sniffed through piles of rubble and ash as stunned survivors of deadly wildfires that killed at least 80 people on the Hawaiian island of Maui took stock of their shattered lives and tried to imagine rebuilding from nothing.

Wildfire wreckage is shown Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Rick Bowmer / AP Photo)

A flyover of historic Lahaina showed entire neighborhoods that had been a vibrant vision of color and island life reduced to gray ash. Block after block was nothing but rubble and blackened foundations. Boats in the harbor were scorched, and smoke hovered over the town.

People watch as smoke and flames fill the air from raging wildfires on Front Street in downtown Lahaina, Maui on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. (Alan Dickar via AP)

A wildfire tore through the heart of the Hawaiian island of Maui in total darkness Wednesday, reducing much of a historic town to ash and forcing people to jump into the ocean to flee the flames. At least six people died and dozens were wounded.

FILE - A man pours cold water onto his head to cool off on a sweltering hot day in the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon, July 16, 2023. (Hassan Ammar / AP Photo, File)

The United States is now at a record 15 different weather disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced. It’s the most mega-disasters through the first seven months of the year since the agency tracked such things starting in 1980.

Illinois has seen 107 tornadoes in 2023, according to the National Weather Service. That makes it the state with the most tornadoes this year. While Illinois holds this title, scientists caution the thought of adding the Prairie State to Tornado Alley.

(Pixabay)

Along the way the air conditioner of the truck failed, causing the temperature to rise in the cargo area of the truck, according to the post. Temperatures in the Chicago area reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

(Pixabay)

Parts of the Chicago area are under excessive heat warnings and heat advisories Thursday with temperatures expected to top out at 96 degrees along with a heat index into the triple digits, according to the National Weather Service.