With nearly two weeks remaining in the month, Chicago broke the record Tuesday for the wettest May in history thanks to a series of heavy rainfall events.
According to data from the National Weather Service, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport has reported 8.3 inches of rain this month, making this the wettest May since record keeping began in the 1950s.
The all-time record hasn’t exactly stood for very long. According to NBC Storm Team 5, the record was set in 2019, with 8.25 inches of rain falling during the month.
May 2018 was another record-setting month, with 8.21 inches of rain, meaning this marks the third consecutive year that the monthly rain record has been broken.
As a result of all the rain, forecasters are already predicting minor-to-moderate flooding on virtually every river in the area. The Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers could see major flooding well into the week, according to models, and as a result flood warnings have popped up across the region.
In Chicago, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed on Sunday after torrential rains caused flooding of low-lying areas, including Lower Wacker Drive and the Chicago Riverwalk.
