Equality residents facing floodwater told to get to safety
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Except for two homes with people sandbagging and pumping water Equality was quiet Tuesday.
The Job Corps and Department of Corrections workers were gone and the floodwater from the Saline River had expanded north to Division Street.
Crews had worked for days sandbagging the home of Annette Gulledge on West Locust Street, but the water caused a portion of its sandbag wall to collapse Tuesday morning and the water made its way into the house.
Gulledge's son, Ronnie Gulledge, nephew Leif Johnson and others were salvaging what furniture they could. Gulledge's late husband, Ronald, was a woodworker and the family was removing several pieces of his fine handmade cabinetry.
The house was built with flooding in mind, but no one could have predicted the water levels of the past few days.
Since Monday the water had crept north about 2 inches per hour to Division Street to reach about 20 feet north.
Tom Notter and family had sandbagged all but the north side of his mobile home, but lacked the help to complete the north side. Besides, no one suspected the water could reach that far. It did and water was to the floor of the home. Notter said the floor was soggy inside in places and said the water would wick up and into the home.
A new problem was also developing. The trailer's block foundation on the south side was sinking into the saturated ground.
"The trailer is buckling because it's all sinking into the ground," his cousin Jeramie Sandor said.
By Tuesday morning 10 homes on the southwest edge of town had been lost to the floodwater along with the Equality Full Gospel Church.
Sandor said everyone living in that part of town Monday had been told by officials it was time to give up the fight and find a safe place to stay. Several apparently had.
Two homes on the northeast edge of town also stood in floodwater.
There were at least two power outages Monday night which would have stopped any electrically-powered pumps.
The water covered Calhoun Street and Ty Williams Drive.
The water crept over state Route 142 at the northwest edge of town causing its closure. An Illinois State Trooper blocked the highway and directed traffic entering Equality up Old Route 13. The only route into town now is Old Route 13 up the hill and past the Equality Cardinal Park.
Gallatin County Emergency Management Agency has distributed the following information:
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At noon Tuesday the river stage at Old Shawneetown was 55.8 feet with flood stage at 33 feet. The crest was predicted to be 56 feet Wednesday. It was estimated 1.1 million cubic feet per second of water was flowing past Old Shawneetown. The river was continuing to rise, but was slowing and a slow fall was also anticipated.
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The Village of Junction was evacuated and Illinois Power/Ameren disconnected power to the village Monday night. The Village of Old Shawneetown was also evacuated Monday night and most of the power was turned off there. A temporary substation was established in Shawneetown.
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The U.S. Coast Guard staged a Fast Team in Shawneetown for rescue operations on the Ohio River and assisted with evacuations Monday.
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Sandbag operations continue in Equality, New Haven and Old Shawneetown.
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Excess water is taxing the sewer systems in Ridgway, Equality and New Haven and Gallatin County EMA urges residents to conserve water.
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Gallatin County EMA asks people not to call 911 or dispatch centers asking what roads are closed or open because those calls are overwhelming the centers.
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People are asked not to drive through floodwaters and boaters are asked to used caution because water levels are high and near power lines.
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Donations of fuel to the Village of Old Shawneetown are being accepted.
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DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.
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