Frozen floodwaters could threaten Illinois over weekend

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Freezing temperatures could affect the flood recovery process this weekend in Illinois after residents in some parts of the state dealt with more than a week of high waters.

The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures in central and southeastern Illinois will drop Saturday night to as low as 11 degrees. On Sunday, temperatures are forecast at lows of 6 to 15 degrees.

Frozen water expands and could add more pressure to foundations and basements where flooding occurred. Dave Thompson, marketing director at Woods Basement Systems in Collinsville, advises residents to inspect foundations and basement walls for new cracks.

"If we have that much water in the ground and the freeze gets deep enough, long enough, that's another applied pressure to your foundation that could cause shifting and more damage," he told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register.

Sangamon County emergency officials said many ditches are still filled with water and the freezing weather could create road hazards. The weather service forecasts 2 to 4 inches of snow across all but the far northwestern and southeastern parts of Illinois on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Illinois Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Patti Thompson said the agency has asked affected counties to provide it with initial damage assessments by Jan. 18. The agency will review the reports and could ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with a more thorough assessment if it appears the state would meet federal disaster declaration thresholds, she said.

After that assessment, Gov. Bruce Rauner could request a major disaster declaration for individual and public-sector assistance if it appears the state meets federal criteria.

Rauner has issued state disaster declarations for 23 counties, largely in central and southern Illinois.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com