Remembering Chicago’s deadly heat wave

Remembering Chicago’s deadly heat wave
Remembering Chicago’s deadly heat wave

Remembering Chicago’s deadly heat wave

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Twenty years ago this week, Chicago sweltered in heat that would grow more intense for five searing days. It was of the deadliest natural disasters in modern American history.

More than 700 people died. Most of them were elderly, poor and often from tough neighborhoods. They were vulnerable to the heat. Fear. They suffered from frail bonds with the community and slow response from city officials.

Those deaths and the city’s response remain the big picture story of that tragic week. Here is a smaller view: Personal stories from people who experienced Chicago’s heat wave in 1995.

Do you have a story from the 1995 heat wave you’d like to share? Email us or call 888-915-9945.