The Caucus Blog of the Illinois House Republicans: Flood Watch

Governor Quinn has declared a disaster exists within the State of Illinois .

Update by IEMA - Monday, April 22 @ 4:30 p.m.

Widespread flood fighting efforts are ongoing along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers; low-lying areas in several locations on these are currently being threatened. Residential areas, agricultural land, and key infrastructure such as water and wastewater treatment plants are currently at risk, and the State is supporting sandbagging and pumping operations as required.

Some flood fighting efforts continue along the Fox, Des Plaines, Rock and Spoon Rivers; recovery operations are also beginning in these areas. Response activities along creeks and streams impacted by flash flooding earlier in the week have concluded and recovery is ongoing in these areas. Widespread rain is forecast for the next two days increasing chance of river rise and additional flooding.

NWS has issued revised crest level projections for the Illinois River South of Havana. These are running 12 to 18 inches less than previous forecasts.

Several loose barges remain stuck against the Lock and Dam at Marseilles. A USACE Safety Specialist has inspected the scene and determined that while this is a less than desirable situation it is not creating any additional issues with regard to the overall flood situation. Engineering personnel continue to monitor the situation to ensure it is remaining stable.

Evacuations are being conducted in at risk areas and being lifted once the threat has passed. ARC is ensuring sheltering and feeding operations are in place to support all evacuations while citizens are displaced.

Some good news to report - Monday, 3:45 p.m.
The Des Plaines River has reached crest and begun to fall at every gauge along its length. While still above flood stage, the Des Plaines has dropped almost a foot at Gurnee and Lincolnshire since Saturday, and more than two feet at Riverside. The Des Plaines should fall below flood stage at all three points late Wednesday or early Thursday.

The Fox River has crested at McHenry and Algonquin, and continues a gradual fall at Montgomery and Dayton.

The Spoon River in western Illinois has dropped more than eight feet at Seville since Thursday, and it should be back below flood stage by Wednesday. The LaMoine River has also dropped by close to eight feet at Colmar, and should be below flood stage possibly as early as tonight.

Meanwhile, on the Illinois River, the situation is still difficult, but not quite as bad as previously thought. From Havana southward, while the river continues to rise to dangerous levels, the forecast has been revised slightly to indicate a crest about one foot lower than previously anticipated. It remains to be seen what effect tonight and tomorrow's forecasted rainfall will have.

The View from Peoria, courtesy of IEMA - Monday 3:45 p.m.

Monday flooding updates - 4/22/13, 1:30 p.m.
Additional counties have been added to the state disaster declaration:

Flash flood response winding down, river flood response gearing up
IEMA reports that it is concluding its efforts in response to smaller creeks and streams which were heavily affected by the flash flood following last Thursday's heavy rain. Now, as the floodwaters continue to drain into the state's river system, the state is continuing its flood fighting operations along the Fox, Des Plaines, Rock and Spoon Rivers, and escalating its efforts along the Illinois and Mississippi.

Information from the Army Corps of Engineers

St. Louis District Flood-Fight page: http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Home/floodfight.aspx
Rock Island District Flood-Fight page: http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/About/Offices/EmergencyManagement/2013Flood.aspx

Some progress on reopening roads in Northern Illinois, while rising waters in Central and Western Illinois close other roads

Many roads remain closed statewide, particularly in the west and northwest suburbs and in the Mississippi and Illinois river valleys. The U.S. 136 bridge over the Illinois River at Havana will close later today. See the full list of closures at: http://www.dot.il.gov/road/roadClosures.htm

Departments of Corrections and Transporation give updates on their flood-fighting efforts

Crews from the Department of Corrections are working in Schuyler, Pike, Morgan and Scott counties to assist local efforts at protecting communities from floodwater. In addition, inmates at several correctional centers are filling sandbags to be transported to threatened areas. Sandbags are being filled and transported from East Moline Correctional Center, Western Illinois Correctional Center, Jacksonville Correctional Center, Greene County Work Camp and Pittsfield Work Camp. So far, IDOC reports that 439 inmates have filled over 60,000 sandbags since Friday.

The Department of Transportation says it has deployed 700,000 sandbags with plastic sheeting to threatened sites across the state. IDOT has assisted with trucks for sand hauling, barricade placement, road closures, signage and message boards for detour routes. IDOT also says it has deployed 49 pumps to local governments which have requested them.

Levee breached in western Illinois city of Oquawka
In Henderson County, an 8-foot wide breach opened in a levee near the city of Oquawka in the area of Illinois Route 164 and Schuyler Drive. There are eight homes and restaurant in the affected area according to IEMA.

Mississippi crested Sunday at Quincy
While the Mississippi reached its crest and started to fall at Quincy, the Memorial Bridge remained closed today because of high water affecting the roadway leading to the bridge. The U.S. 54 bridge over the Mississippi in Pike County was also closed. Drivers were being detoured onto U.S. 61 and U.S. 36 to cross the Mississippi at Hannibal.

Jefferson Barracks Bridge on I-255 reopened to traffic after barge collision
Rising floodwaters caused several barges to break free south of St. Louis early this morning and crash into the Jefferson Barracks Bridge, which carries Interstate 255 across the Mississippi. The Missouri Department of Transportation has completed its inspection of the bridge and has reopened it to traffic.

National Weather Service predicting record levels along rivers in Central Illinois, more rain to come
According to the forecasts from the National Weather Service, the Illinois River will crest at record levels in Henry on Monday, Peoria Tuesday and Havana and Beardstown Thursday. The Wabash is expected to hit Major Flood level below Terre Haute on Monday. More rain is expected Monday night and Tuesday, possibly as much as one inch, worsening the situation across the region.

Flooding Assistance Process - 4/20/13 - 10 a.m.
Brochure by State of Illinois for local government's on the process of obtaining funding assistance for residents: http://www.illinois.gov/ready/SiteCollectionDocuments/DisasterDeclarationProcess.pdf

For continued updates on the flood response, visit www.ready.illinois.gov - 4 p.m.

Illinois River begins to fall at Morris, but water flows downstream and causes rise at Meredosia - 3:40 p.m.

Kishwaukee reaches crest and begins to fall at Belvidere - 3:40 p.m.

Des Plaines River begins reaching crest in northwest suburbs - 3:40 p.m.

The river should begin to fall overnight, according to projections from the National Weather Service.

Map of the 38 counties which have been declared state disaster areas by Governor Quinn - 3:35 p.m.

No federal declaration has been requested yet. Governor Quinn would have to request a federal disaster declaration from FEMA and President Obama would have to grant the request in order for FEMA and other federal disaster aid to come to Illinois. That request could be made at any time that state officials determine the situation warrants it.

Some new photos are posted at the bottom of this page - 3 p.m.

Does your community participate in the National Flood Insurance Program? - 2:35 p.m.
Click here to find out: http://www.fema.gov/cis/IL.pdf
For information on the National Flood Insurance Program, visit www.floodsmart.gov.

Storm totals from the Chicago area - 2:15 p.m.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=94123&source=0
Naperville leads the list with 7.34 inches recorded from Wednesday to Thursday.

Some flood safety tips - 2:00 p.m.
Tips for safe driving from the Illinois Department of Transportation:

Do not drive through flooded areas
If a road covered by water seems shallow enough to cross, do not attempt to do so
If your car stalls, do not attempt to push it out; seek higher ground

Tips for safety during and after a flood from Ready Illinois (www.ready.illinois.gov)

During a flood

Seek higher ground. Do not wait for instructions.
Be aware of flash flood areas such as canals, streams, drainage channels, and underpasses.
Be ready to evacuate with your Go Bag.
If time allows, move essential items to upper floors.
If instructed, turn off main valves and switches. Avoid electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
If you must leave your home, do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.

Do not try to drive over a flooded road. If your vehicle stalls, abandon it immediately.

After a flood

Avoid floodwaters. Do not let children play in the water.
Be aware of areas where water has receded. Roadways may have weakened and could collapse.
Avoid downed power lines and muddy water where power lines may have fallen.
Return home only when authorities say it is safe to do so.
Discard food that may have been contaminated.
Check on sewage systems. If damaged, these can be a serious hazard.

Peoria-area updates from the Journal-Star - 1:45 p.m.
The Peoria Journal-Star is compiling updates from twitter users in their area at http://www.pjstar.com/free/x1431010767/Flooding-updates-on-Twitter-peoriawx. A levee on the Spoon River near London Mills was overtopped last night, and there is widespread flooding in the Peoria-area.

IEMA releases updated list of shelter locations - 1:30 p.m.

Facility	Status	Address	Details
Clyde Jordon Senior Center	Closed	6755 State Street, East St. Louis, East St. Louis, IL	55000000City opened the shelter, Red Cross supporting as needed
Shepherd Middle School	Open	701 East McKinley Road, Ottawa , Ottawa, IL	0000000
Homer Village Hall	Open	Homer Village Hall 500 East 2nd Street Homer, IL	0000000
First Church of Christ	Open	First Church of Christ 503 North Main Street, Georgetown, IL	0000000
New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church	Closed	413 W. John H. Gwynn Jr. Ave, Peoria, IL, Peoria, IL	0000000
Plainfield High School Central	Open	611 W. Fort Beggs Drive , Plainfield, IL	0000000
Kickapoo Township Building	Open	10025 W. US Tre. 150, Kickapoo, IL, Kickapoo, IL	0000000
Hanna City United Methodist Church	Open	600 W Farmington Rd. , Hanna City, IL, Hanna City, IL	0000000
Robbins Community Center	Open	13800 Tremble Street, Robbins, IL	0000000
Saint Mark's Lutheran Church	Open	101 South Sixth avenue, Saint Charles, IL	0000000
St. John's Lutheran Church	Open	26555 Brickbill Road, Sycamore, Illinois, Sycamore, IL	0000000
Prairie Lake Recreation Center	Open	515 Thacker, Des Plaines, IL	0000000
North Park Village	Open	5801 North Pulaski, Chicago Illinois, Chicago, IL	0000000
Benedictine University - Rice Building	Open	5700 College Road, Lisle Illinois	65000000Dupage County opened the shelter- Red Cross supporting as needed.
Trinity Lutheran Church	Open	202 West Lincoln, Roanoke Illinois, Roanoke, IL	0000000
Illinois Valley Community College	Open	815 N. Orlando Smith Ave., Oglesby, Illinois	0000000

Updated list of road closures from the Illinois Department of Transportation - 1:10 p.m.
Check back to this link throughout the day as IDOT announcees road closures. The most recent update was just posted at 1 p.m.

http://www.dot.il.gov/road/roadClosures.htm

State Police reporting road closure on I-55 in the Joliet area - 12:55 p.m.
Of particular interest to those from northeastern Illinois who are in Springfield for session and planning to head home this afternoon: the Illinois State Police report the northbound lanes of Interstate 55 are closed just south of U.S. 6. The road is closed between Interstate 80 and U.S. 6 and traffic is being rerouted onto U.S. 6. I-55 North has been closed to traffic at mile marker 248 due to flooding of the roadway. All traffic is being routed east on U.S. 6.

ABC 7 updated list of closings in the Chicago area - 12:45 p.m.
WLS in Chicago has posted on its website the following link with information on closures in the Chicago area: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/feature?section=news/education/closures&id=5814242

Metra reports running normally - 12:45 p.m.
Metra reports that service on its lines in the Chicago area has returned to normal. The only remaining closure is the Berkeley station on the Union Pacific West Line.

Kane County OEM reports on Fox River - 12:45 p.m.
The Office of Emergency Management in Kane County told the Tribune that the Fox River continues to rise, but should reach its peak late Saturday night at around 13 feet. That level would not be a record, but would bring a comparable level of damage to that seen in the 2008 flood.

National Weather Service at Lincoln river information page
The National Weather Service office at Lincoln has compiled several of its river stage graphics into one site. For information on river stages and projected crests at key points on the Illinois, Spoon, Mackinaw, Sangamon, Vermillion, Embarras and Little Wabash Rivers and Salt Creek, visit http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/?n=ilx_flood_briefing_page

Updated information for county emergency management agencies - updated 11:30 a.m.
Residents in need of assistance from local governments should contact their county emergency management agency. A list of contacts for the county emergency management agencies is available here:

http://www.state.il.us/iema/disaster/pdf/lepctier2mailingaddresses.pdf

April 19 Briefing from IEMA to Illinois Legislators - 8:30 a.m.
The DesPlaines, Fox & Illinois rivers continue to rise and are at record levels. They pose flash flooding concerns. The Rock river is holding its own and isn't a major concern at the moment. IEMA is working to shore up the Mississippi.

One flood-related fatality was reported, a farmer in Jersey county who was cleaning out a culver was pulled under and tragically drowned.
Roads are getting better with fewer closures and expect to continue to improve.
Residents should report damage to their local emergency management organizations - typically based with counties.
The state is fielding requests from local authorities for sandbags, help with sandbagging efforts and pumps.

Schools, Business, Organizations Closures

Emergency Closing Center provides the status of Chicagoland area schools, businesses daycare centers and organizations.

Weather
Illinois Weather Central
Private Weather Stations in Illinois
Flood Warning

Red Cross Shelters
The Red Cross has set up shelters across the state for those who cannot go home because of flooding. You can find information about those shelters by clicking on your local Red Cross chapter below:

Adams County Chapter (Quincy)
American Red Cross of Greater Chicago
American Red Cross of the Heartland (Bloomington)
American Red Cross of the Quad Cities Area (Moline)
Central Illinois Chapter (Peoria)
DeKalb County Chapter
Illinois Capital Area Chapter (Springfield)
Kankakee County Chapter
Mid-Illinois Chapter (Decatur)
Northwest Illinois Chapter (Freeport)
Rock River Chapter (Rockford)
Southwestern Illinois Chapter (Alton)
Western Illinois Chapter (Galesburg)

Congressional Update on Illinois Flooding from April 18

State of Illinois Situation Report
Yesterday, the Governor activated the State Incident Response Center (SIRC) in Springfield to assess flooding and severe weather in the state. SIRC will provide support local public safety officials as they assist those affected by flooding. We will pass along information from SIRC as we receive it.

Here is the situation report from April 18, 2013

Flood Safety Information
Ready Illinois
IDPH - After the Flood
Cleaning up after flood and sewer overflows
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Updates from Around the State
Chicago Tribune is live blogging Chicago-area flooding
WICS ABC NEWS Channel 20 (Springfield Area)
Journal Star (Peoria)
Courier News/SunTimes Group (Elgin Area)
WGN
Naperville Sun

Water Levels
River Forecast Center
as of 5:10 PM CST 4/18/13