Thunderstorms dropped up to 5 inches of rain on the Chicago area Thursday, closing expressways as the Chicago River flooded low-lying areas, officials said. On the South Side, water reached the roofs of cars. A sinkhole opened in a southeast neighborhood, swallowing three cars. Firefighters pulled one person from the hole who was hospitalized in serious-to-critical condition. The third car slid into the hole after crews arrived at the scene, UPI reported. In the suburb of Libertyville, part of a high school building sank a foot into the ground, fire officials said. More than 100 schools have been closed for the day. At O'Hare International Airport more than 300 flights were cancelled and another 150 delayed. Metra trains were delayed by up to 45 minutes, the Chicago Sun-times reported. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Cook and three other counties in Illinois and Lake County in Indiana. Commuters had been advised to stay home. The Chicago River had risen more than 6 feet, triggering a system that opened locks and pushed the water into Lake Michigan, said an official with the Water Reclamation district. By 7 a.m., flooding in the community of Hillside was severe enough that police evacuated residents from a one-story apartment building.
