Remembering the Deadly Heat Wave of '95


This summer marks the 20-year anniversary of a brutal heat wave that hit Chicago and left more than 700 people dead in its wake.

Tonight, WGN chief meteorologist Tom Skilling and Northeastern Illinois University professor emeritus Robert Starks join us to remember the summer of 1995 and discuss coverage of the event. We'll also look at the city's response to the epidemic, and what lessons Chicago has learned from the devastation of that unforgettable July.

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See the temperatures and heat indices during the 1995 heat wave.


Below, Phil Ponce revisits the deadly heat wave of 1995 in his 2002 interview with author Eric Klinenberg about his book, Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago.

Do you have memories to share? Use the comments section below to tell us about your experiences with the heat wave of 1995.

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