Could it ever happen again? With heat indexes reaching triple digits his weekend, many Chicago residents might be reminded of the killer heat wave 23 years ago that killed more than 700 people. A lot has changed since 1995. Chicago has better systems in place to monitor those people who are most at risk in excessive heat.
However, back then, city officials seemed to take the dangerous temps for granted. At the time, Mayor Daley, didn’t seem too concerned, stating the obvious: “It’s hot. It’s hot out there. We all walk out there. It’s very, very, very hot.” There were no warnings or much intervention on the part of the city then. And things began to fall apart. When it was over, a total of 739 people lost their lives. READ MORE
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