A Political Failure: Chicago Had ‘No Plan’ When The 1995 Heat Wave Hit
By Meha AhmadA Political Failure: Chicago Had ‘No Plan’ When The 1995 Heat Wave Hit
By Meha Ahmad
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Twenty-five years after a record-breaking heatwave killed 739 Chicagoans, Reset revisits the events of that week and just why the city was slow to respond. We also take a look at how the heat wave shaped the way the city views disaster preparedness and relief today.
Reset talks to former aldermen Helen Shiller and Dorothy Tillman. Both witnessed how the poor in their communities were dying, and pressed then-Mayor Daley to take action.
GUESTS: Helen Shiller, former alderman for the 46th Ward (1987-2011)
Dorothy Tillman, former alderman for the 3rd Ward (1985-2007)