You can’t rain on their parade! Chicago Pride gets canceled when a dangerous lightning storm hits the city – but the wet weather fails to stop 100,000 revelers from enjoying the party
- Authorities were forced to cancel Chicago Pride Parade early on Sunday with a severe storm drenching the city
- Extra trains had to be scheduled in order to transport saturated parade-goers back home
- More than 100,000 residents in Chicago and surrounding areas were without power following the dramatic storm
- It’s the latest in a series of extreme weather events that have occurred across the country, with West Virginia and Minnesota battling flash floods in recent days
Chicago police were forced to cancel the city’s Pride Parade early on Sunday after severe weather hit the city.
While the parade kicked off at noon, some revelers were forced to seek shelter shortly after 2 pm when dangerous lightning and heavy rain lashed the city’s North Side, where the march was being held.
Authorities eventually made the decision to cancel the remainder of the parade at 2.50 pm.
Extra trains were scheduled in order to transport wet parade-goers out of the vicinity.
More than 100,000 people were estimated to be in attendance at the event.
Authorities were forced to cancel Chicago Pride Parade early on Sunday with a severe storm drenching the city – but many revelers relished the rain
The downpour didn’t appear to dampen the spirits of some Pride marchers who were seen soaking up the rain as they strutted down the street in their eye-catching ensembles
However, the downpour didn’t appear to dampen the spirits of some Pride marchers who were seen relishing the rain as they strutted down the street in their eye-catching ensembles.
Others brandished rainbow umbrellas in order to protect their outfits from the elements, while some Pride fans took to Twitter to post about their experiences.
‘Chicago Pride was filled with pouring rain and runny makeup but I actually had the time of my life even if it was cut short,’ one wrote on the social media site.
‘Despite the rain, Chicago pride was amazing!’ another enthused.
The parade began at midday, but dark clouds soon circled overhead, and the downpour began around 2 pm
More than 100,000 people were estimated to be in attendance at the event, showing their support for the LGBT+ communities
Before the storms hit, Chicago’s first openly gay mayor Lori Lightfoot led the parade accompanied by her wife, Amy Eshleman.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also showed support for the LGBT+ community by attending the festivities.
Meanwhile, a thunderstorm warning was put in place across Chicago and parts of Cook County until 6 pm local time.
More than 100,000 residents were without power following the storm, The Chicago Tribune reported.
Before the storms hit, Chicago’s first openly gay mayor Lori Lightfoot (right) led the parade accompanied by her wife, Amy Eshleman (right)
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (center) also showed support for the LGBT+ community by attending the festivities
It’s the latest in a series of extreme weather events that have rocked different parts of the country.
On Saturday, floods in West Virginia washed out roads and knocked homes from their foundations.
On Friday, extreme flooding was recorded in Minnesota, which saw cattle swept away in fast flowing waters.
And last week, a line of severe storms left a 1,000 mile of destruction across 14 states from St. Louis down to the South Carolina coastline. CNN reported three people were killed during the weather event.
It comes as large sections of the Midwest remain underwater from severe flooding last month which impacted millions of residents in Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma.
The parade was one of many that were held across the globe to celebrate WorldPride