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The Illinois Emergency Management Agency met with local EMA coordinators Wednesday to try to get as ready as possible for possible spring flooding.
The region has had a great deal of rain already this year - 8.14 inches so far and 2.96 inches this month, according to the Courthouse rain gauge - and the National Weather Service is projecting more wet weather in the coming weeks.
"It looks like we'll be dealing with some flooding issues," Patti Thompson, spokeswoman for IEMA, said.
Jonathon Monken, director of IEMA, spoke with several local people, such as Saline County EMA Coordinator Allan Ninness and Gallatin County EMA Coordinator Steve Galt.
"This is just our opportunity to interact with the locals before a flood comes through the area," Monken said.
At least some flooding occurs every year along the Mississippi, Ohio or Wabash rivers - the question is when and how much, Monken said. Flooding on the Ohio and Wabash is likely to be more precipitation driven; flooding on the Mississippi River would result from melting snow in the northern Midwest.
"We're just trying to take the right steps now," Monken said.
The right steps include finding out beforehand what IEMA can offer local officials and what is already in place, Thompson said. Local and state officials discussed whether supplies such as sandbags or generators can be put in place early so it won't take long to get supplies to a flood-afflicted area, Thompson said.
If flooding occurs this year, local and state officials have experience on their sides. Most were around during the 2008 floods, so what happens during a flood is not a distant memory, Thompson said.
IEMA is staying in touch with officials from the National Weather Service.
"we always work closely with the National Weather Service and they issue frequent updates on precipitation projections," Thompson said.
The meeting in Harrisburg was one of several statewide. The first round of meetings is being held in towns affected by the Wabash and Ohio Rivers, such as Harrisburg, Bridgeport and Metropolis. IEMA had a similar meeting with local officials in 2008 as a precaution from flooding north of Illinois.
"It was pretty successful then," Thompson said.
A repeat of the 2008 Harrisburg flood, in which an extremely unusual rain storm caused parts of the city to flood, is unlikely. The more likely possibility for Saline County is localized flooding, or flooding along the Saline River due to the Ohio River backing up, Ninness said.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency met with local EMA coordinators Wednesday to try to get as ready as possible for possible spring flooding.
The region has had a great deal of rain already this year - 8.14 inches so far and 2.96 inches this month, according to the Courthouse rain gauge - and the National Weather Service is projecting more wet weather in the coming weeks.
"It looks like we'll be dealing with some flooding issues," Patti Thompson, spokeswoman for IEMA, said.
Jonathon Monken, director of IEMA, spoke with several local people, such as Saline County EMA Coordinator Allan Ninness and Gallatin County EMA Coordinator Steve Galt.
"This is just our opportunity to interact with the locals before a flood comes through the area," Monken said.
At least some flooding occurs every year along the Mississippi, Ohio or Wabash rivers - the question is when and how much, Monken said. Flooding on the Ohio and Wabash is likely to be more precipitation driven; flooding on the Mississippi River would result from melting snow in the northern Midwest.
"We're just trying to take the right steps now," Monken said.
The right steps include finding out beforehand what IEMA can offer local officials and what is already in place, Thompson said. Local and state officials discussed whether supplies such as sandbags or generators can be put in place early so it won't take long to get supplies to a flood-afflicted area, Thompson said.
If flooding occurs this year, local and state officials have experience on their sides. Most were around during the 2008 floods, so what happens during a flood is not a distant memory, Thompson said.
IEMA is staying in touch with officials from the National Weather Service.
"we always work closely with the National Weather Service and they issue frequent updates on precipitation projections," Thompson said.
The meeting in Harrisburg was one of several statewide. The first round of meetings is being held in towns affected by the Wabash and Ohio Rivers, such as Harrisburg, Bridgeport and Metropolis. IEMA had a similar meeting with local officials in 2008 as a precaution from flooding north of Illinois.
"It was pretty successful then," Thompson said.
A repeat of the 2008 Harrisburg flood, in which an extremely unusual rain storm caused parts of the city to flood, is unlikely. The more likely possibility for Saline County is localized flooding, or flooding along the Saline River due to the Ohio River backing up, Ninness said.
"But we also can act in a supporting role to our neighboring counties," Ninness said.
In general, Wednesday's meeting "was a good forum to open up discussion and get people thinking about flood fighting," Ninness said.
Ohio River
Although it's not unusual for spring in Gallatin County, the Ohio River is already at flood stage in Old Shawneetown. As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the river was at 43.7 feet; flood stage is 33 feet. The river is expected to reach a 47.7 crest on March 14. A river stage above 43 feet generally means several county roads are impassible, according to an NWS flood impact chart for Shawneetown.
Flooding along rivers is not just driven by the river stages, Monken said. The level of ground saturation also plays a role in flooding - if the ground is too saturated to take on any more flooding, the water has to go somewhere.
The NWS has issued a flood warning for the Little Wabash River at Carmi, affecting Gallatin, Wayne and White counties. The Little Wabash is expected to crest at 31.3 feet by early Friday. Flood stage for the Little Wabash is 27 feet.
At 32 feet, flood waters flow up McHenry Slough and areas near state Route 1 and state Route 14 in Carmi begin to flood, according to the flood statement from the NWS.
According to the NWS, the boat ramp and parking lot at Old Shawneetown are under water at 26 feet; at 33 feet, minor flooding is experienced in bottom land and low-lying areas; at 43 feet, several county roads are closed; at 52 feet, several rural roads and houses are isolated; at 60 feet, the top of the levee protection is reached in Old Shawneetown; at 65.64 feet, the flood will exceed the levels of the 1937 Flood, the highest stage on record. Large amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of homes and businesses becomes necessary.
Historical crests at Old Shawneetown:
-- 65.64 feet on Jan. 30, 1937;
-- 55.6 feet on March 14, 1945;
-- 55.3 feet on Jan. 19, 1950;
-- 54.6 feet on March 20, 1964, and;
-- 54.4 feet on March 12, 1997.
Monken and Thompson gave several flood-preparedness tips for homeowners:
-- Keep a very close eye on water levels when flooding is possible;
-- Pay attention to information coming from the state or media;
-- Have a backup plan or generators for basement sump pumps;
-- Keep passing on information about rising waters to local EMA or state officials;
-- Keep fresh batteries on hand for radios and flashlights; and
-- Have a supply of drinking water on hand.
-- You may visit www.ready.illinois.gov for a disaster preparedness guide.
