Flooding in Illinois, March 18 to 23, 2008

A house along Beaucoup Creek near the Pinckneyville-Du Quoin Airport flooded. Water in the basement rose to within three inches of the floor joists. Four feet of water filled an adjacent barn. The mortar was washed out of the foundation blocks. The family used a boat to access the house. Numerous basements were flooded around the county, including more than 100 in Du Quoin alone. Sump pumps and shop vacs were sold out at many stores. Several roads were closed in Du Quoin. An intersection was closed by flooding in Du Quoin.

A large mobile home park east-northeast of Carbondale was flooded due to Crab Orchard Creek. Water was up to the bottom of mobile homes, and vehicles were submerged. Over 100 people were evacuated from the park. A business in Carbondale had two to six feet of water on the first floor. A two-day power outage affecting several buildings at Southern Illinois University was caused by water in manholes. Up to six feet of water was pumped out of a manhole before repairs could start. The small community of Makanda was cut off by flooded roads. A number of roads were closed by flooding, including Route 13, the main east-west artery through the county. At least one water rescue was conducted. About 30 basements were flooded in Murphysboro.

Two persons died after their truck stalled in floodwater on a secondary road near Waltonville. The three occupants of the truck climbed on top of it. One of the victims dropped her purse in the water and dove after it. Two other occupants of the truck dove in to rescue her. One of the rescuers swam to safety, but the other two persons were found submerged in debris about 1,000 yards from the truck. Numerous roads were closed around the county. Schools were closed. Illinois Route 148 was closed at the Big Muddy River bridge as water rose several feet over the bridge. Route 37 was closed south of Mount Vernon. One family in Mount Vernon was displaced when the basement walls caved in. At least fifty basements were flooded in the city.

Some roads were closed, including the main road from Orchardville to Keenes. The excessive rainfall caused gravel and dirt roads to become very soft. Heavy traffic was urged to stay on paved roads.

Residents were evacuated from their homes and taken to a shelter. Flooding was most serious in West Frankfort, where there were concerns about the safety of the drinking water. It was later determined that no contamination occurred. The city's sewer plant was shut down after it flooded. Most of the evacuations in West Frankfort were on the northwest side of town. Two structures on the south end of town received major damage, including a large business. Basement flooding rose to the floor joists of the first floor of several structures. A number of dogs drowned in flooded pens and doghouses, while many others were rescued. In Royalton, a woman was trapped in her house for more than 24 hours. She was standing in more than a foot of water. Flooding on Main Street in Royalton came within a foot or two of village hall and the post office. Several roads were closed by flooding. Illinois Route 37 was closed north and south of West Frankfort. A woman was trapped in a submerged vehicle on Route 37 and was pulled to safety. A few streets in Benton were submerged. Drivers not familiar with the streets ended up in ditches after losing sight of the road surface.

A few county roads were under water.

Numerous road closures were reported, though all major roads were reopened within 24 hours. U.S. Highway 51 was closed at the northern entrance to Cairo. Several homes were flooded, mainly in the Olive Branch and Gale areas. Basement flooding occurred in Cairo, especially north parts of the city. Ten people were rescued with three boats used by the Department of Natural Resources.

Some county roads were closed due to flooding.

Much of the flooding was due to a combination of backwater from the Ohio River and tremendous runoff from inland areas. The emergency management director reported that flooding in Old Shawneetown was the worst since 1964. All but the eastern part of town was flooded. About 20 families evacuated flooded parts of the county. Near Ridgway, firefighters rescued three children who were boating in floodwaters. The boat was taking on water, and the children were bailing water. Sandbagging was done to protect property in Equality and Junction. The Saline River was the primary cause of flooding there. A State of Emergency was declared for the county. Old Shaweetown was closed to all traffic except emergency local traffic.

Illinois Route 142 was closed near Broughton. Illinois 242 was closed about seven miles south of McLeansboro. Numerous smaller county roads were closed. Some damage occurred to roads.

In Rosiclare, several basements were flooded. Sandbagging was done around a few structures, including the only grocery store in the county. Some secondary roads were flooded and closed.

Illinois 145 was closed two miles north of Route 146. Route 145 is the main north-south route through the county. More than 1,000 sandbags were filled in Pope County for residents in flood-prone areas. Many of the sandbags were placed around a water pumping station that services parts of the county with drinking water.

Ullin was especially hard hit. At least 50 homes in Ullin were flooded, along with the town's pump station. The town's post office and grocery store were flooded. A car was submerged up to the steering wheel. Floodwaters rushed over a bridge in Ullin. Two to three bridges were washed out. Dozens of residents of an assisted living facility were evacuated as water entered the facility. The facility sustained major damage. Flooding of the Cache River closed Shawnee College Road for several days. Most of the county back roads were closed, and other areas of the county outside Ullin were evacuated. Six apartments and two houses were flooded in Mound City. Several homes in Karnak were surrounded with water or sandbagged, mainly due to flooding of the Cache River. Portions of Route 37 and U.S. Highway 51 were closed.

Over 16 million dollars in damage occurred to homes and businesses in Harrisburg due to disastrous flooding. Five homes and one business were considered destroyed. At least 30 homes and 44 businesses had water over the first floor. All three of the supermarkets in the city were closed due to flooding. Eighteen homes and three businesses reported water in the basement, though many others likely did not report basement flooding. About 300 residents of the city were evacuated, many to a Red Cross shelter. Emergency personnel evacuated at least one family from flooded areas outside the city. Many streets were closed in Harrisburg. U.S. Highway 45 was closed for days. Significant damage occurred to roads countywide. Four feet of water covered the basement of a church in Carrier Mills. Access to the local Harrisburg hospital was blocked by floodwaters, closing it for a short time. In Carrier Mills, 17 homes were flooded, five more had flooded basements, and vehicles and sheds were submerged. A major problem in Carrier Mills was contamination of the wells that supply public drinking water. Residents were urged to boil water before using it. Utilities were shut off to the hardest hit flood zones. A makeshift levee about seven feet tall was constructed on State Route 34 to protect parts of Harrisburg from renewed flooding of the Saline River. The levee worked, even though a vehicle drove through barricades and struck the levee. The main water line to Galatia broke, and residents were urged to boil their water. Near Stonefort, a railway was washed out. About 100 basements were flooded in Eldorado.

Historic flooding inundated the county after close to 12 inches of rain fell in 48 hours. Levees were overtopped along the Clear Creek drainage district, essentially cutting the county in two. All east-west roads were impassable or closed. Between 30 and 35 people were rescued or evacuated by emergency personnel using boats. About 12 houses were flooded. Highway 146 was closed near Ware. Evacuations were concentrated near Clear Creek, Ware, and west of Jonesboro. On secondary roads and side streets, creeks rose over bridges. Damage was reported to roads all over the county. A couple of bridges were severely damaged. Flooding affected a telephone company building in Anna, knocking out communications to much of the county. A house trailer was reportedly floated onto a road in a rural southwest part of the county. The Red Cross opened a shelter for evacuees. Flooding occurred in the Mill Creek area, where evacuations were conducted. Illinois Route 127 was flooded. In Anna, several streets were closed.

Many rural and county roads were flooded. U.S. Highway 45 was closed north of Enfield. A vehicle became stranded in floodwaters west of Grayville. The driver was rescued by emergency personnel. Illinois Route 1 in Crossville was closed for a few hours. In Omaha, a fertilizer and agrichemical warehouse was flooded with four feet of water.

In Marion, firefighters used boats to rescue 13 residents of the city's housing project. Water was up to a foot deep in some apartments. Five stranded motorists were rescued by Marion firefighters. A total of 21 persons were rescued by boat by firefighters in the city of Marion. At least a few vehicles were submerged up to their headlights. Victims were transported to a Red Cross shelter. A Marion official stated this was the worst flood since May of 1996, before the flood control project was completed. Many streets were underwater, including the main access road to Marion High School. An SUV was stranded in floodwaters. In Johnston City, most roadways were closed. A bridge was taken out by floodwaters on a side street. Route 148 was closed north of the Crab Orchard bridge. Numerous county roads were closed. Ten basements were flooded in Herrin.

Major flooding occurred in Vienna, where numerous businesses were flooded. A car dealership and another business had 2 to 3 feet of water inside. Local residents reported that flooding in Vienna was the worst since 1973. A number of residences around the county were flooded. Route 37 south of West Vienna was impassable, with water up to the headlights of vehicles. Flooding of the Cache River closed a large section of Illinois Route 37 for days. Railroad tracks were washed out near Belknap. Due to damaged tracks, a train derailed north of Vienna. The engineer and conductor were injured when two locomotives tipped on their side. Sections of U.S. Highway 45 and Route 37 were damaged by floodwater rushing across them. Most of the damage was erosion of shoulders. Farmers lost some animals and equipment to the flooding. Water rose over bridges, and at least three vehicles were carried away by floodwaters. Numerous roads were closed, including the most vital routes: U.S. Highway 45, Route 146, and Route 37. Interstate 24 remained open. Cypress was inaccessible due to road flooding.

A few basements were flooded in Metropolis. Street flooding occurred in Metropolis. Several roads were closed. U.S. Highway 45 was covered with water in several areas. Thousands of acres of farmland were flooded. Some roads were damaged.