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Flooding Causes Massive Delays at O'Hare, Closes Surrounding Roads

Monday's heavy rains caused a mess near O'Hare International Airport.

Arrivals were still delayed as of 10 p.m. and late by more than an hour on average. Departures were also running behind, so the airport urges travelers to check their flight status. The weather canceled hundreds of flights and delayed more than a thousand others — some passengers say they circled the airport for hours.

Crews worked to clean up leaks inside the terminal that left passengers frustrated. Rainwater ran down the walls and pooled on the floor as passengers arrived at O’Hare.

“It was a little crazy,” said Krystina Troczynska, a passenger on her way from Germany.

Some passengers had to walk through standing water in the international terminal.

“Coming from overseas, it’s a long flight, just get me outta here as fast as I can," one man said.

Crews cleaned up leaks in Terminal 5 and other walkways around O’Hare.

Passengers trying to fly out were delayed getting to O’Hare on CTA trains — and by flooding on I-190 around the airport. Some left their ride and walked through the water with their luggage. Drivers had to find a way around.

One family waited for hours to pick up their loved ones - frustrated by the lack of information besides announcements only saying “DIVERTED.”

Airline workers also wanted answers about the disruptions from the leaking roof that forced them out of their offices.

"This is the third time that we had a flood just because of all the rain," said Alma Hayes, who works for Avianca Airlines. "And we’ve been addressing this problem with the city but nobody has done anything so far."

Monday's weather cancelled nearly 500 flights here — and delayed more than 1,100.

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