Historic Flooding on Ohio River: Metropolis, Ill., Issues Voluntary Evacuation Order

The Metropolis Emergency Management Agency Director, Keith Davis, has asked media to post the following voluntaryevacuation order that has been issued for the City of Metropolis:

"The Mayor of the City of Metropolis is recommending the voluntary evacuation of parts of the City of Metropolis. This recommendation is based on the current river forecast provided by the National Weather Service. The Ohio River at Metropolis is forecast to rise an additional 5 ft between now and Friday May 6^th. Residents whose homes lie within the blue shaded areas, are expected to be impacted by the flood waters, and are advised to take appropriate action. At the current increase in river levels, restricted access in and out of the City of Metropolis can be expected.

"Residents within the blue shaded area are encouraged to seek shelter with friends or family outside of Metropolis. Essential services within the City Limits are expected to be limited or non-existent at the current river forecast.

"It is highly recommended that those residents capable of relocating themselves do so in a timely, orderly manner. As the flooding situation changes, the City of Metropolis will provide updates as new information becomes available."

The above evacuation order was disseminated by KFVS 12 Heartland News bureau at Carterville, Ill., to other news organizations and reporters on behalf of the Metropolis EMA. It was sent out on May 2 at 7:42 p.m. The flood projection map can be found here.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was to begin blowing the levee Monday evening on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River to relieve pressure on the Ohio River levees and many of the tributary levees in southern Illinois and other states. While the focus has been on Cairo, Ill., at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, many towns have been inundated by flooding while waiting for the legal battle fought by Missouri to protect its farmland and the homes in that area to play out.

Emergency Management authorities in Olive Branch, Ill., an unincorporated town in Alexander County north of Cairo, reported rising water over Illinois Route 3 where residents had tried to protect their homes with sandbagged levees. On Monday afternoon a 100-foot section of the Mississippi River levee at Miller City gave way. Authorities had also reported sand boils at other points on the levee on the Illinois side.

The area has received five inches or more of rain as well in the past three days.

In addition to original reporting, sources for this report include Fox2 Now, St. Loius; KFVS 12 Heartland News, Carterville, Ill., Bureau.