Rain Delays Savannah Bananas Game Amid Severe Thunderstorms in Chicago

CHICAGO, Ill. — The Savannah Bananas baseball game at Rate Field was delayed Saturday evening due to severe thunderstorms moving through the Chicago area. The game had just begun when the rain started, prompting the grounds crew to cover the field with a tarp only minutes after the first pitch.

The teams plan to resume the game once the rain passes, but officials have not provided a timeline for how long the delay will last. Photos and videos shared from the stadium show fans seeking shelter in covered areas of Rate Field.

In a related incident, severe thunderstorms caused significant damage in Mount Prospect, where a roof was torn off an apartment complex and various trees were downed. Mount Prospect Fire officials attribute the damage to a microburst, which also forced several families from their homes.

Halina Zielinski, a resident displaced by the storm, expressed her sorrow, saying, “This Mother Nature. You never know what’ll happen. We’re happy, you know, one day and next day, look what happened. Destroyed. Everything.” Zielinski is among those receiving assistance at RecPlex in Mount Prospect.

Witness accounts described the chaos as residents faced falling debris. Kamil Sereemak recalled, “I was in the home, then all of a sudden it was a huge boom, like a bomb. The fire alarms were blaring, and water was just pouring down into every part of the hallway.” Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

The storms that hit Saturday brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Chicago region, resulting in flash flooding, particularly in areas like Joliet and Elgin. As early as 9:30 p.m. Saturday, ComEd reported about 66,780 customers without power due to the weather conditions.

As residents continue to deal with the aftermath, more storms are expected to sweep through the Chicago area into early Sunday morning. The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory for regions most heavily affected.