Madison County declares major disaster, calls for National Guard to help with flooding
Chairman Kurt Prenzler signed a proclamation Wednesday declaring Madison County a major disaster area and calling for the National Guard to aid in its flood-fighting efforts.
“We’ve been vigilant this flood season, and we do not want to take any chances,” Prenzler stated in a news release.
The governor will have a news conference at 9 a.m. to announce he has activated the National Guard.
Prenzler met with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau and requested assistance from the National Guard. The proclamation states that a disaster exists “due to record breaking flooding along the Mississippi River throughout Madison County and the ongoing efforts to contain said flooding.”
According to the release, Prenzler sent a letter to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker requesting the National Guard monitor the 44 miles of levees within the county.
The river is expected to crest at 39.3 feet in Alton on June 4. If it does, those water levels will come second only to those of the Great Flood of 1993.
“Even though our levee system is upgraded, our intent is to have resources available, so we can react quickly if need be,” Prenzler said, according to the release. “We need to be prepared for the ‘what ifs’ and not the ‘what happened?’”
With the length and intensity of the flooding, the county “wants to do everything it can to make sure any potential issues with the levees are immediately spotted,” the release stated.
Earlier this month, Pritzker signed a proclamation declaring 34 counties, including Madison, a disaster. The declaration makes a wide variety of state resources available and sets in motion the ability to receive federal assistance.
This story was originally published May 29, 2019 at 6:56 PM.
.jpg)