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* From last Tuesday…
Flooding along the Ohio River forced crews to close roads in Hardin County Tuesday. They shut down Route 1 where the road is submerged.
“The last couple days, the water really started coming up on both side of Route 1,” said Hardin County Deputy Sheriff Joe Jenkins. “It’s completely over the road.” […]
The high water levels along the Ohio River are expected to last at least through the rest of the week.
But the river didn’t recede.
* Saturday…
Massac County officials have declared a state of emergency as the Ohio River continues to rise.
The county’s Emergency Management Agency says they are over extending their resources.
The river is currently less than a foot away from major flood stage and is expected to rise two more feet and crest at 53.5 feet on Saturday, March 2.
* Sunday…
The Ohio River is now at a major flood stage and is continuing to rise.
The National Weather Service predicts the river will crest Saturday, March 2, making it one of the top five historic crests.
As water levels continue to rise, volunteers in Brookport and Metropolis continue to fill sandbags to give to residents.
* Monday…
High flood waters have left residents at six units with no choice but to evacuate a Metropolis, Illinois apartment complex. […]
White says volunteers will be out all-night sandbagging. The residents who evacuated will stay at the hotel until Friday unless conditions get worse.
* Also from Monday…
Senator Dale Fowler said a meeting between lawmakers, first responders, IEMA, and the Army Corps of Engineers will take place Wednesday. They’ll be working to figure out if and when state resources can be deployed to help with damage.
* The governor apparently decided not to wait for Wednesday’s meeting…
Daily Public Schedule: Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019
What: Gov. Pritzker to hold media availability after surveying flooding and receiving an emergency response briefing in Metropolis. The governor will then depart to Cairo to survey flooding.
Where: Metropolis Fire Department, 213 West 7th Street, Metropolis
When: 11:30 a.m.
* Harrah’s Casino closed on the 18th. The governor’s folks sent me this pic today…
* And here’s one of Pritzker with Sen. Fowler and others…
More often than I care to remember, I’ve brow-beaten governors into traveling to flood zones. I didn’t even know about this flood until today.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker has directed the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Springfield to monitor flood conditions in southern Illinois and quickly deploy state assets and personnel if local officials request assistance as they battle floodwaters.
Gov. Pritzker and Illinois Emergency Management Agency Acting Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau met with local officials and emergency management officials in Massac and Alexander County today as the communities continue to prepare for significant river crests this weekend.
“I want all of our communities that have been impacted by recent flooding, from northern Illinois to southern Illinois, to know we are taking this very seriously,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The state will do everything we can to help communities experiencing these extreme conditions this upcoming weekend and beyond. It’s important we work together in the days and weeks ahead to keep families safe and protect our communities.”
On Tuesday, a crew from the Illinois Department of Correction’s Shawnee Correctional Center began sandbag operations to aid the flood fight in Alexander County. Additional sandbags and pumps have also been deployed to Massac County and Alexander County. IEMA staff have been deployed to southern Illinois to help local emergency management officials assess the need for state assets or personnel. The American Red Cross is also working throughout the area assisting residents and attending to the needs of volunteers.
Public safety officials also want to take this time to remind motorists to be on the lookout for road closure postings. Residents are urged to avoid areas already flooded and never cross any barriers that are put in place by local emergency officials.
“Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard,” said IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “Over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood waters. Please heed the warning from your local officials. Turn around, don’t drown. It is never safe to drive or walk into flood waters.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 9:59 am
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Come to think of it, traveling to the tip of southern Illinois on Chicago’s election day probably has some built-in advantages.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:18 am
I grew up in Quincy and flooding on the Mississippi was a near yearly occurrence usually overblown by media not in the area. JB jumping on every flood event would be overkill but is more appropriate when the sandbags come out.
Comment by Severus Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:22 am
Is there flooding from Hardin County to Metropolis to Cairo? That’s a heckuva stretch.
Good time for Pritzker to call his friend Trump for that help he promised. Tell him we want the Houston package, not the Puerto Rico one.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:29 am
“Come to think of it, traveling to the tip of southern Illinois on Chicago’s election day probably has some built-in advantages.”
Staff: Governor Pritzker, you are slated to go to far southern Illinois on Wednesday.
Prtizker: (looks at his calendar) How about Tuesday? Tuesday looks great. Lets go on Tuesday.
Comment by Montrose Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:32 am
Gov. You need to get BBQ at Bills. As good as it gets.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:49 am
Southern Illinois journalist here: That’s Patrick Windhorst second to the right of Pritzker in the light blue button-up. The Ohio River isn’t expected to crest until this weekend, so water is still rising. A lot of people don’t understand how hard it is to live in these counties when they’re taken over by floodwaters.
Comment by WineTrailHero Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:52 am
==Had the same number of people been affected on the Fox River, the Governor would have declared a state of emergency last week.==
Another victim heard from.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:53 am
As usual, Word makes a really good .point.
Comment by Tate Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 10:58 am
Kudos to Rich for placing this post under the one that is entitled “What Real Leadership Looks Like”. It’s so nice to have a governor who demonstrates concern rather than tearing down Illinois and its residents.
Comment by Bourbon Street Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 11:40 am
I second Bourbon Street’s comments. Like Rich, I knew nothing and have seen nothing about this flooding in local news or papers–though I only see either sporadically.
Comment by d. p. gumby Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 12:10 pm
= A lot of people don’t understand how hard it is to live in these counties when they’re taken over by floodwaters.=
Probably makes a good case to move to higher ground or rebuild farther from the river.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 12:20 pm
JS Mill -
Wasn’t aware you were also a devotee of Ludwig von Mises.
Comment by Smitty Irving Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 12:48 pm
= I knew nothing and have seen nothing about this flooding in local news or papers =
Do not expect local news from local newspapers that run wire stories.
WSIL had a story a few days ago, and some photos of the casino started popping up in my feed around that time.
Comment by Dirty Red Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 1:03 pm
And it may get worse as we head into Spring…
https://www.weather.gov/dvn/2019_springfloodoutlook
Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 2:47 pm
The gov really is in ‘southern’ Illinois. Accents so thick it’s mind boggling.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 3:05 pm
Flood forecasts may be found here: https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=pah
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Feb 26, 19 @ 4:01 pm