WOOD RIVER — Emergency officials want to remind the public to stay off the levees in Madison County as a safety precaution.
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“We keep getting calls asking why people can’t walk atop the levees yet,” Madison County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Mary Kate Brown said. “The reason is the levees remain saturated and cleanup efforts are ongoing.”
Brown said the No. 1 reason for keeping people of the levees was due to the saturation length of the earthen barriers. Although the Flood Prevention District of Southwest Illinois, with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, made significant upgrades to the levees over the past decade and there appears to be no problems officials with EMA, Wood River Drainage and Levee District and Metro East Sanitary District want to take extra precautions.
During the past several days the Madison County Sheriff’s Department has removed individuals from atop the levees. The “no trespassing” rule will remain in effect for the 44 miles of levees in Madison County until further notice.
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