Most of the heat wave\u2019s victims were elderly and impoverished residents living on the city\u2019s South and West sides, according to officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pain from this tragedy is still felt today, especially here on the West Side and throughout many neighborhoods and communities on the South Side,\u201d Mayor Brandon Johnson said at Tuesday\u2019s event. \u201cEnvironmental crises are never just about the weather. They are about equity, access and justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
A portion of the documentary \u201cCooked: Survival by Zip Code\u201d was shown at the event. The film, produced by award-winning Humboldt Park studio Kartemquin Films<\/a>, follows stories and archival footage from the disaster.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 Office to house bodies from the overflowing morgue.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cheryl Watson is a partner of the Defusing Disasters Working Group<\/a>, 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<\/a>, climate change-related events including flooding and heat waves have made doing so challenging.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the age of the homes in a lot of our communities that are vulnerable, you can\u2019t really retrofit them enough for them to be comfortable,\u201d Watson said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have the infrastructure to have central air \u2026 that\u2019s a burden to most people.\u201d<\/p>\n Citywide efforts to address the heat crisis since 1995 include expanding the city\u2019s tree canopy<\/a> to block direct sunlight and rainfall to help prevent flooding and severe heat.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. Through the Our Roots Chicago<\/a> program, the city has planted more than 64,000 trees in areas lacking adequate tree canopy.<\/p>\n \u201cHere 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,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s effects are most felt, officials said. <\/p>\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/rs-IMG_1614-1024x682.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n