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“Forgotten Illinois” * UPDATED x1 *

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* From the Lawrence County Daily Record…

As of mid-morning today, Lawrence County Sheriff Russell Adams said the water in areas where there have been levee breaks and other flooded areas is still rising.

Adams said water north of Russellville along Illinois Route 33 is rising at a rate of about an inch per hour.

In the southern part of the county, the St. Francisville road, which connects that community with Illinois Route 1, was flooded, then the water receded enough for the road to open, and now it is closed again due to flooding. Other roads previously closed are still flooded.

With the Wabash River above its flood stage, water from the Embarras has no place to go, and in some cases is backing up into the Embarras causing flood waters to rise, officials said.

* Lawrenceville lost its water supply yesterday…

As of 11:30 a.m., Wal-Mart Supercenter, CVS and McKim’s were out of stock. All businesses said they were ordering more, with McKim’s and Wal-Mart expected to have more by the end of the day.

A CVS employee said people were rushing in and out of the store in search of water.

“There have been tons and tons of people coming in,” she said.

* But water was restored when fire trucks from around the area brought in water for the town’s water tower…

While residents have water for showers, flushing toilets and other such functions, Mefford stressed the people are still being urged to conserve water and boil any water they ingest.

* Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels made another trip to his side of the border today…

Gov. Mitch Daniels will spend this morning meeting with farmers and agriculture officials in Columbus to assess agricultural damage and will also visit farms in Morgan and Daviess counties.

* A Terre Haute, IN TV station ran a story entitled “Forgotten Illinois“…

“It’s a plea for help we need to have someone standing for us,” said flood victim, Gayle Bridges.

They feel ignored.

“We’re country folk, they don’t worry about us much,” said victim Ken Caughran.

But officials say they’re doing all they can.

* Photos

* Help…

Wabash Valley Flood Relief Fund
c/o Farmers & Merchants Bank of Hutsonville
PO Box 277
Hutsonville, IL 62433

* More pics…

*** UPDATE *** Rep. Fritchey has more at Illinoize…

“After touring many of the hardest-hit communities it’s obvious that local families can’t wait for state or federal relief dollars to become available. They need help now,” said [Sen. Dale Righter]. “The good news is that our offices have been inundated with calls from people from our area and across the state who want to help. All donations to the fund we established today will go directly to helping families in our six local counties declared state disaster areas.”

Righter and Eddy said the fund is accepting monetary donations. Those wishing to contribute can send checks to:

Wabash Valley Flood Relief Fund
P.O. Box 277
Hutsonville, IL 62443

Do it.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:34 pm

Comments

Forgotten IL, if only there was some politician who was in the national spotlight who coul dbring more attention to their plight.

(No, I am not blaming him at all).

Comment by Wumpus Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:36 pm
Do you think the governor of Indiana could come to Southeastern Illinois, too?

Comment by Old Shepherd Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:46 pm
Oh where ,oh where can my Blago be, oh where,oh where has he gone?
Why has not the Illinois Governor shown his face/
It is not north of I 80, that’s why.

Comment by decaturvoter Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:49 pm
Chicago TV=presence.
No Chicago TV=noshow.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:50 pm
Where is the National Guard?
That’s right they are all overseas.

Comment by decaturvoter Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:50 pm
I’m not sure if the Guard is needed since it’s such a sparsely populated area. At the very least, I haven’t yet seen or heard of a request.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:51 pm
But by no show, does it not defeat his image of the governor that is doing all he can to bring jobs and build the economy in Southern IL. I don’t get it. I hear Spokesman Williamsen go on about bringing “real jobs with real people spending real money” to Southern IL (on the TS move) but in this emergency and sad affair Blago doesn’t even show his self. I’m getting a real double message for his concern of Southern IL.

Comment by Princeville Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:56 pm
Pssst…Abby….This is a great opportunity for the Big B to shine with his peeps. Pry him out of the bunker and put him to work.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:03 pm
Looking forward, I hope that as the waters recede and rebuilding begins, those impacted are moved out out the way of future harm.

Flooded fields are the unavoidable consequences of farming very productive lowlands and the consequences can be remediated with relative ease. But flooded homes, businesses, and water supplies are catastrophes with consequences that can never be fully addressed; however, with proper planning, these catastrophes can be mostly averted.

Because rebuilding is, necessarily, planned so soon after the event, I hope these issues are brought up now. While the Governor may be absent, I hope that he allows some funds to flow into planning for recovery ASAP.

Comment by Illinois Geologist Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:03 pm
This is shameful. My lord Rod, take a little interest!

Comment by anon Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:17 pm
Any governor of any state who doesn’t get his or her shoes muddy in a situation like this is derelict.

A lot of state resources are in play to assist a lot of citizens. A real chief executive, a real leader, a real governor would spend some time on the ground to make sure everything that can be done is being done well. That’s the job.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:17 pm
Red = no show. Lawrence County was light blue in 2002, then dark red in 2006.

Comment by Cheswick Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:20 pm
I don’t think that’s it. The flood just isn’t on his radar because it’s not being covered by Chicago TV.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:21 pm
Did he show up after the earthquakes either?

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:29 pm
Rich, it might be helpful to highlight Ready.illinois.gov. Looks like they have a lot of useful things up on the flooding.

Comment by problem Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:29 pm
—
Did he show up after the earthquakes either?
—

No, but he created a task force. And probably a website, too. That’s our taxpaying dollars in action. We definitely needed an earthquake task force in Illinois.

Comment by Macbeth Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:34 pm
Since it’s mostly farmland that’s being flooded, it’s not really a flood on “the people.” So I think the governor is being consistent.

Comment by Greg Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:42 pm
Macbeth, you must be in northern Illinois. If you lived in the southern part of the state, you might think an earthquake task force would be a good idea…no matter who decided to create such an animal.

Comment by Deep South Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:42 pm
Deep South: Actually, planning has been going on for years. State and federal agencies have been mapping and planning and retrofitting…the Gov just created a new group to make the news. He will probably neglect to fund them next year.

One of the duties of the gov. is to show up when bad things happen. The gov is the face of state government, and his physical presence, while not necessary to the operations, is an important symbol. In the case of this gov, it typically indicates where is true interests lie. Look for him at the Cubs game…

Potshot: Gov. B. is probably mad about all these pesky expenses because it makes it difficult for him to justify buying Wrigley Field.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:51 pm
Rich, thank you for not forgetting about our long-neglected corner of this state. This is a 100-plus-year event that is inflicting hardship and suffering upon people who would never imagine their homes would be flooded.

Comment by enrico depressario Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:52 pm
The governor should make a visit. It is inexcusable. Robinson (just north of the flooded area) has a nice airport, so he could easily make the trip. Jim Thompson flew in several times……

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:53 pm
Like I said a couple of days ago, southeastern Illinois(along with west-central Illinois) is “Forgottonia.” It’s not that the governor’s presence there makes that big of a difference; it likely doesn’t. However, if he were sloshing through some muck, it would provide a symbol to folks that things are being done and that the governor can see first-hand if the situation warrants more resources.

The rains are coming again tonight and tomorrow. We’ll see what happens to other levees and other areas of the state that are on the brink of flodding.

Comment by Fan of the Game Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 2:55 pm
===Chicago TV=presence.
No Chicago TV=noshow. ====
There are plenty of cameras at the Cubs game. Which he is at right now.

Comment by Cub Fan Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:04 pm
I threw sand bags as a National Guard member in 1993 and Budweiser send canned water to the flood zone. They were in white cans that said water on them. I saved one and have it at home. I am going to call my local contacts at my local Bud distributor but I would suggest others do the same and see if we all squeeking together can get this done again.

Comment by Mark Johnson Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:15 pm
He is truly at the Cubs game today? The audacity!

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:23 pm
Just another example of Rod Blagojevich’s ineptness. I can just see one of Rod’s minions trying to show Rod where Lawrence County is and then Rod saying, “But the Wrigley Field Deal”????

Comment by It's a Big State Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:23 pm
All the sandbags in the state have been sent to the Ravenswood neighborhood to keep out the media.

Comment by Sorry Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:28 pm
Rod: I didn’t realize the Ohio River was flooding so fast.
Aide: Sir, this is the Wabash and Embarras Rivers causing the problems.
Rod: Cheez…how many rivers does this state have?

Free tip: if somebody from Chicago does stop by, the locals pronounce it AM-braw, not like its spelled.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:30 pm
Has he made any appearance in the south suburban areas hit by tornadoes last weekend? There were no serious injuries but there was significant damage in some communities, and at least one Chicago TV station tracked the storms live.

If so, it would be further evidence of Rich’s axiom about Chicago TV coverage. If not, perhaps it means he’s hunkering down more than usual, though not because of the weather.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:52 pm
VQ. He actually is at the Cubs game. I have confirmed that.
But I have not cofirmed who he is sitting with. I can see the spin sister issuing a release saying he is sitting with the owners of the Tommy Bartlett Water Show and he is trying to get them to move to Lawrence County. Even if that absurd situation was possible, Illinois would probably lose out to Indiana.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:54 pm
They’re closing one of the two bridges in Quincy. Highwater’s expected to rise over the western edge of the older bridge.

Yikes. Also a state of emergency in Quincy.

Comment by Macbeth Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:59 pm
Is that a joke? Baseball instead of a photo op in hip waders?

Comment by Joe Schmoe Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:01 pm
Every day that goes by without a capital bill, 3,744 acres of Illinois go under water!

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:11 pm
The flood isn’t on his radar because the Chicago media isn’t covering it??? Is he that out of touch? I knew things were bad but this is beyond pitiful.

Comment by anon Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:13 pm
He probably left the Cubs game before it went into extra innings to get back to work on the budget hole.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:13 pm
Hey, it is June and the Cubs have the best record in baseball! Get your priorities straight people.

Comment by Bill Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:35 pm
The Missouri DOT is closing memorial Bridge between Quincy and West Quincy by tomorrow. Nothing at this point about Bayview Bridge (the newer bridge).

Comment by Fan of the Game Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:36 pm
#

- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 1:50 pm:

Chicago TV=presence.
No Chicago TV=noshow.
No one on his staff reads this anymore????

Comment by 618er Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 5:23 pm
Yeah, but he doesn’t.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 5:24 pm
No, Rich, he reads it. See my earlier post (2:51). He is reassuring Sam Zell that the State will still buy Wrigley.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 6:53 pm
Just came back from my mom’s in Vincennes yesterday the 11th and could not believe the way the water came up when I left the 9th. I lived down there and all my family does too, but I have never seen it this bad. I went north on Rt. 1 and I was afraid I wouldn’t get out. I understand there is more rain on the way. Those low bridges on Rt 1 will never last, the water was all the way up to the bottoms and the water was lapping the road. Stay safe everyone.

Comment by South of I 80 Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 6:54 pm
Hey, Problem-

Nice try with “ready.illinois.gov”

Any of us with college age kids could have had them knock out the same thing in probably less time, cheaper, and without all the gratuitous Blago PR all over it.

Besides, it’s a little hard to fire up the PC when it’s floating out of your living room.

Tool.

Rich is right. If you think you’re helping Elvis-News Flash-you’re not.

If you want to be helpful, be like AA and drop a Benjamin or two in that relief fund instead of trying to blow smoke up a bunch of places with well-tuned smoke detectors, k?

Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:10 pm
We have flooding in North of I-80, Quad Cities, Quincy, Lawarence County and the other counties in the southeastern Illinois, and G-Rod is at a Cub, throw back, ballgame (I’m happy they won), but the state is flooding on three sides. He should be in a helicopter & waders going around the state and reasuring the people they we are here to help!!

I’m sorry I lost my head, it was a throw back ballgame from 1948, we weren’t flooded then, my mistake!

Comment by South of I 80 Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:19 pm
Not to mention that counties along the Fox River are also at risk from a dam just north of the Wisconsin border that is in danger of breaking. Not to mention the significant crop losses due to flooding all over the state. Not to mention tornado damage in the south suburbs last weekend. Some of these disasters are actually well within the Chicago TV broadcast area so Blago really has no excuse for not showing up… aside from all this recent unpleasantness about impeachment and all : )

Comment by Bookworm Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:43 pm
Jim Edgar did a LOT of flood tours. I remember him doing photo-ops filling and stacking sandbags. George Ryan managed to get out to disaster sites as well. ‘93 covered a lot more area as I recall and it really became a huge month-long national story.

I was standing by the Sny levee during the last big flood and this guy says: “You see that, son, that’s a sand boil” He pointed to a clear puddle of water with what looked like a tiny erupting volcano of sand at the bottom. “What you see is the pressure of the river pushing sand grains out of the inside of the levee, like an Artesian well. Long as it runs clear, no big deal. But if it turns all black and muddy, you best head for high ground right quick, and don’t stop to look back.”

I filled bags with one eye on that puddle for hours until I got relieved.

Comment by Wet again Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 10:42 pm