Flooding in Illinois, January 1 to 19, 2016

Major flooding of the Ohio River continued into January. At the Cairo river gage, the river crested at 56.14 feet on the 4th. This flood was very similar to the flood of March, 1997, when the crest was 56.2 feet. Flood stage there is 40 feet. The bridge connecting Cairo with Wickliffe, KY was closed due to floodwater over the bridge approach on the Kentucky side. The bridge, which carries U.S. Highway 51/60/62 over the Ohio River, was closed for about one week. Most of the flood gates were installed at Cairo. Areas not protected by the levee and floodwall system were inundated. Since the crop season was not underway, agricultural losses were insignificant.

Major flooding of the Ohio River continued into January. At the Grand Chain river gage, the river crested at 55.4 feet on the 3rd. Flood stage there is 42 feet. This flood was very similar to the flood of May, 1995, when the crest was 55.1 feet. Flood stage there is 42 feet. There was widespread flooding of low-lying fields, and a number of secondary roads were flooded.

Flooding of the Ohio River continued into January. At the Brookport river gage, the river crested at 48.2 feet on the last day of December. Flood stage there is 37 feet. There was considerable flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands. Parts of Fort Massac State Park and some river access roads were underwater. At Brookport, a chronic failure of a flapper gate in the floodwall allowed water to enter the city. Sandbagging and pumping operations were required to minimize the impact to property. In Metropolis, water approached the city streets closest to the river. The water stopped just short of requiring street closures and evacuations. Floodwater entered the access road and parking lot of a Metropolis riverboat casino, causing some inconvenience.

Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. Low-lying woods and fields were flooded, as well as some county roads. About 10,000 sandbags were delivered to Golconda to support the placement of flood gates.

Moderate flooding along the Ohio River continued into January. At the Shawneetown gage, the river crested at 45.25 feet on the 4th. This flood was very similar to the flood of May, 2002, when the crest was 45.42 feet. Flood stage there is 33 feet. The main consequence was numerous flooded secondary roads. There was considerable flooding of low-lying agricultural land. Since the land was mostly unplanted, crop damage was insignificant. Levees protect large parts of the county. Seepage water was pumped out of Old Shawneetown, which has been largely vacated in recent decades after major floods caused heavy damage.

Mississippi River levels continued their climb from December, and record flooding occurred early in the month. At the Thebes river gage, the river crested at a new record of 47.74 feet before dawn on the 2nd. The old record was 45.91 feet, which was set in May of 1995. Records at Thebes go back to at least 1844. The 2016 crest would have been higher if a major levee break had not occurred in Alexander County. Flood stage at Thebes is 33 feet. The primary flood-related impact was a large levee break (about one-quarter mile wide) in the Len Small Levee near Miller City, between Thebes and Cairo. This levee break contributed to major flooding in and near the communities of Olive Branch and Miller City. Several dozen residences were flooded, some of them by water up to seven feet deep. Voluntary evacuations were requested as floodwaters inundated these communities and cut off access roads. Many homes and businesses in these communities were sandbagged, but many of them ended up being flooded. A Red Cross shelter was opened at Cape Girardeau. The National Guard was requested to assist with sandbagging operations and levee repairs. A couple of relatively small levee breaches were reported between Miller City and Cairo. The levee protecting East Cape Girardeau was in danger of failing, and residents of that community were advised to evacuate. Schools were closed in much of the county due to widespread evacuations. The impact of all of this flooding would have been much greater during the growing season, when crop losses would have been extreme. Because of the high water, barge traffic was restricted on the Mississippi River.

Mississippi River levels continued their climb from December, and record or near-record flooding occurred early in the month. There are no river gages in Union County, but there is a gage at Thebes in nearby Alexander County. At the Thebes river gage, the river crested at a new record of 47.74 feet on the 2nd. Backwater from the Mississippi River contributed to flooding of Clear Creek and other tributaries, which affected isolated homes. Some residents were isolated by the floodwaters. Sandbagging operations were conducted to protect water wells and to reinforce levees. The National Guard was activated to assist with the sandbagging. A number of residents voluntarily evacuated. Most of the monetary flood damage was to public infrastructure, such as roads and levees. All access roads to the Mississippi River levees were closed.

Mississippi River levels continued their climb from December, and record or near-record flooding occurred early in the month. The river gage at Thebes downriver in Alexander County crested at a new record of 47.74 feet on the 2nd. However, the river gage upriver at Chester in Randolph County did not break a record. A voluntary evacuation of the community of Grand Tower was requested, partly due to weaknesses in the levees along the Mississippi and Big Muddy Rivers. Grand Tower sits at the confluence of the Big Muddy and Mississippi Rivers. A Red Cross shelter was opened at Murphysboro. Illinois state highway department crews transported 50,000 sandbags and 100 rolls of plastic for stabilization of slides on a levee. Four state trucks were used to haul rock to low places that needed to be raised up. Illinois Route 3 was closed at the Randolph County line due to flooding. County leaders signed a disaster declaration for the county.

Moderate flooding of the Wabash River continued into January. At the New Harmony, Indiana river gage, the river crested at 20.69 feet on the 7th. Flood stage there is 15 feet. There was considerable flooding of low-lying woods and fields near the river. A few secondary roads were flooded.

Major flooding of the Big Muddy River continued into January. At the Murphysboro river gage, the river crested at 36.11 feet before dawn on the 2nd. Flood stage there is 22 feet. At Murphysboro, floodwaters approached the flood level of 2008, when the river crested at 37.19 ft on March 23. A mobile home park, a few houses, and a church were flooded or threatened. Sandbagging was done around some affected structures. A Murphysboro couple was rescued by police and firefighters after they were trapped in their home by high water. Extensive flooding of low-lying fields occurred. The intersection of 3rd and Plum Streets in Murphysboro was closed. Floodwater covered the ground below an electrical substation. Slides or slumps developed along a portion of the levee near Grand Tower, prompting concerns about levee failure. Residents were asked to voluntarily evacuate a large area behind the levee. The situation around Grand Tower was heavily affected by backwater from the Mississippi River, which was near record high levels.

Major flooding of the Little Wabash River continued into January. At the Carmi river gage, the river crested at 35.74 feet on the 3rd. This flood was similar to the flood of April, 2008, when the river crested at 35.54 feet. Flood stage there is 27 feet. Businesses just downstream of Route 14 and Route 1 in Carmi were flooded. Many county roads were flooded. Extensive flooding of farm fields and woodlands occurred. Since planting season was not underway when flooding began, there was little if any crop damage.

Minor flooding occurred along the Big Muddy River. Low-lying woods and fields were flooded, as well as some county roads.

Moderate flooding of the Wabash River continued into January. At the Mt. Carmel river gage, the river crested at 29.1 feet on the 6th. Flood stage there is 19 feet. This flood was similar to the flood of March, 2008, when the river crested at 29.72 feet. Some residents along South Division Street in the Mt. Carmel area and in the Keensburg area were evacuated. Several local roads were flooded, some by several feet of water. These included South Division Street, CR 1280 E, and three township roads south of Illinois 1 near Keensburg. Extensive flooding occurred on the northern outskirts of Mount Carmel. Numerous local river roads were flooded. High water backed up into Bon Pas Creek. Installation of flood gates at Mount Carmel was necessary. Access to local camp sites was blocked, but there was minimal impact to commercial activities because of gate closure. Fifth Street that parallels the river was closed. Twin Restaurant along the river also closed. All oil field production ceased with the exception of pumping units on substructures. Access to these was by boat only.

Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. The town of Rosiclare was affected. Low-lying woods and fields were flooded, as well as some county roads.