New resource center for flooding victims to open in East St. Louis. Officials address concerns
A new resource center is opening in East St. Louis this weekend for displaced residents and others affected by recent flooding.
Mayor Robert Eastern III announced the launch of the center at a press conference at city hall on Tuesday.
The mayor was joined at the press conference by city, state and county leaders, who discussed the aftermath of the severe flash flooding that devastated an East St. Louis neighborhood last week and addressed residents’ concerns.
“This was a historic flood that impacted our city as well as the region, and alarming numbers of houses and homes of people and business have been impacted,” Eastern said. “We received reports that cars were completely covered with water, and in some areas, homes were inhabitable.”
The new multi-agency resource center will be at East St. Louis Senior High School, located on 4901 State St. It’ll operate on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The center will be a one-stop shop for residents to get what they need.
Last week, up to 12 inches of heavy rainfall struck the St. Louis metro area, including southwestern Illinois. In East St. Louis, the neighborhood that includes Terrace Drive and Mary Avenue was the city’s hardest-hit area. Some residents have expressed frustration with the city’s response to help them recover from the flood . Some said the city wasn’t immediately receptive to their needs, while others demanded federal relief.
Eastern declared a state of emergency for the city on Tuesday, July 26, when flooding hit the area. He said Tuesday about 40-50 families or more in East St. Louis were displaced, an increase from the 30-35 families that were reported on Saturday. The city drained floodwater from the area on Saturday, four days after flooding began.
City hall operated as a temporary shelter on that day, and the city provided hotel rooms for displaced residents. Some residents said they had to wait there through the evening before getting a hotel. Maranita Sanders, who lives on Mary Avenue, said she decided to get her own hotelroom that day because of the long wait.
“They had some of us down there until eight o’clock in the evening,” Sanders said on Friday. “East St. Louis does not have an emergency evacuation for people in destitute area. Why would we have to wait hours? It’s just sad.”
Community collaboration
Eastern said at Tuesday’s press conference that his team, along with state and county officials, have been working diligently to find solutions for the situation, but said it’ll take time and more resources than the city has.
Eastern said the persistent flooding issues on Terrace Drive and Mary Avenue, which is located near Harding Ditch, are caused by a multitude of factors, including a failing pump station that officials are trying to fix.
“The pump station has many issues - vandalism, theft, people go in there and stealing components of it, causing these things to break down, but even if the pump station was working and we had 10 pump stations out there, you’re pumping water in an already full ditch, so the question comes how do we fix it?”
He said it’ll likely cost up to $700,000 to fix pump stations. Eastern said a civil engineering study also needs to be done to find ways to relieve the pressure on the city’s sewer system, but he’s optimistic about working with state and county leaders to address the problem.
Herb Simmons, director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, said his office has been in communication with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency about residents receiving financial assistance for flooding relief.
“That’s what prompted this MARC (multi-agency resource center) to be opened up this coming weekend, and what the MARC will allow is for the affected, the residents, to come in and meet with department heads to find out what they’re financial needs may be, what their immediate needs are, so we’re really excited about that,” Simmons said.
On Friday evening, the city along with American Red Cross announced a temporary shelter at Mason-Clark Middle School. American Red Cross is assessing damages in East St. Louis. Eastern and the East Side Health District urged people in the area to evacuate on Friday due to health concerns from floodwater exposure.
The city drained floodwater from the area on Saturday. Community volunteers started cleaning the neighborhood on Monday. Glenda Merriweather, whose home on Terrace Drive is now filled with mold, said she developed a headache after cleaning her home. She assumed it was from inahling the mold.
“It’s not healthy to clean all of this in one sitting,” she said.
Elizabeth Patton-Whiteside, director of the East Side Health District, said during Tuesday’s press conference that she’s working with Community Lifeline and the Illinois Department of Public Health to distribute pamphlets to residents on how to safely clean their homes.
“There are certain ways to clean, and that’s information that we need to get out,” Patton-Whiteside said. “Also in tramping through all of this sewer water and contaminated water, of course it’s carrying lots of ... bacteria, so if you have open sores, any open wounds that are likely to get infected, I would say seek medical help immediately for any type of cuts.
“If you have any respiratory problems, for example we are known to have high asthma problems in our city, so if you’re encountering any type of respiratory problems, please go to the emergency room.
Community Lifeline, located at 1764 State St. in East St. Louis, is accepting donations for toiletries, food and clothing. Donations can be dropped off at the nonprofit’s family resource center at 1468 State St. during the week. On weekends, donations can be dropped off at New Life Community Church at 1919 State St.
The city also shared a Google form for residents who’ve been affected by the flood. Residents in need of assistance are encouraged to call United Way of Greater St. Louis at 2-1-1, Urban League at 618-274-1150, and Community Lifeline at (618) 482-2950.
This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 2:57 PM.
