AUSTIN — City officials on Tuesday commemorated the more than 700 Chicagoans who died in the 1995 heat wave while discussing efforts the city and its partners have taken to avoid similar disasters in the future.
Officials and neighbors met Tuesday at Columbus Park, 500 S. Central Ave. in Austin, to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1995 heat wave, a five-day period starting July 12, 1995, that saw 739 people die due to heat-related conditions. It is considered the worst natural disaster in Illinois history.
Most of the heat wave’s victims were elderly and impoverished residents living on the city’s South and West sides, according to officials.
“The pain from this tragedy is still felt today, especially here on the West Side and throughout many neighborhoods and communities on the South Side,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at Tuesday’s event. “Environmental crises are never just about the weather. They are about equity, access and justice.”
A portion of the documentary “Cooked: Survival by Zip Code” was shown at the event. The film, produced by award-winning Humboldt Park studio Kartemquin Films, follows stories and archival footage from the disaster.
In the documentary, family members of victims reflect on how grim the situation was and how the city was not prepared for so many deaths. More than five refrigerated trucks were brought to the Cook County Medical Examiners’ Office to house bodies from the overflowing morgue.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at an event commemorating the 1995 Chicago Heat Wave at the Columbus Park Refectory, 5701 W. Jackson Blvd. on July 15. Credit: Michael Liptrot/Block Club Chicago
Many of the people who died during the heat wave did not have access to central air conditioning, Johnson said. That issue still persists today.
But as climate change further threatens the city, officials and outside groups are working to make sure neighborhoods and households are prepared to face climate-caused disasters, including heat waves and flooding.
Today, only 30 percent of single-family homes in Chicago have central air conditioning, compared to the national average of 76 percent, according to Johnson and a Tribune report.
Cheryl Watson is a partner of the Defusing Disasters Working Group, a project dedicated to tackling extreme weather events and preparedness. Watson, a Chatham native, recounted losing her mother to heat illness. Though Watson lives in her childhood home, climate change-related events including flooding and heat waves have made doing so challenging.
“With the age of the homes in a lot of our communities that are vulnerable, you can’t really retrofit them enough for them to be comfortable,” Watson said. “They don’t have the infrastructure to have central air … that’s a burden to most people.”
Citywide efforts to address the heat crisis since 1995 include expanding the city’s tree canopy to block direct sunlight and rainfall to help prevent flooding and severe heat.
South and West side neighborhoods often lack tree cover, with some areas having less than 5 percent tree canopy, according to the city. Neighborhoods such as Forest Glen and Beverly both have areas with more than 13,000 trees and around 50 percent tree canopy coverage, according to University of Chicago data. Through the Our Roots Chicago program, the city has planted more than 64,000 trees in areas lacking adequate tree canopy.
“Here in Austin, we are investing in our communities by planting trees that will turn the tide for justice. It will also provide long-term climate and health benefits,” Johnson said.
Defusing Disasters is also working to develop a tool called the Heat Vulnerability Index, which works to identify neighborhoods across the city most at risk of extreme heat. The index will allow policy makers to target areas where extreme heat’s effects are most felt, officials said.
Defusing Disasters also has a survey asking the public its top priorities for heat-related policy recommendations. The survey is open through the end of the summer.
At the event, Johnson also honored Emilio Aguirre, a World War II U.S. Army veteran and former prisoner of war. Aguirre died during the 1995 heat wave and was buried in an unmarked tomb, Johnson said. The city plans to honor Aguirre with full military honors and a proper headstone on Thursday, the 30-year anniversary of his death, in an 11 a.m. ceremony at Homewood Memorial Gardens, 600 Ridge Road in Homewood.
The ceremony is open to the public.
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