In this Wednesday, May. 29, 2019 photo, floodwaters from the Mississippi River inundate a railway yard in Quincy, Ill. (Jake Shane/Quincy Herald-Whig via AP)
The Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - About 200 Illinois National Guard members have been deployed along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers to assist with flood and levee monitoring.
Noting Thursday that many rivers in Illinois are flooded, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says there's a multi-agency effort underway to address the "grave" situation. Pritzker says other guard members will be on standby for evacuation missions over the next few weeks.
The governor is urging those living along a river to prepare for the worst and prepare an evacuation plan, especially those living in Calhoun, Jersey, Green, Scott, Morgan and Cass counties.
Alicia Tate-Nadeau (tayt-na-DOH') of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency says flooding in the state has been ongoing for about 80 days and is expected to reach "historic highs." It comes amid spring flooding across the Midwest .
John Sullivan of the Illinois Department of Agriculture says just 35% of corn crops and 14% of soybeans have been planted this season because of heavy rainfall .
Traffic gets backed up on the Bayview Bridge as vehicles are rerouted in Quincy, Ill., Thursday, May 30, 2019, after it was closed due to rising Mississippi river waters. The bridge connects Illinois to Missouri via U.S. Route 24. (Jake Shane/Quincy Herald-Whig via AP)
The Associated Press
A police officer directs vehicles in Quincy, Ill., Thursday, May 30, 2019, after the Bayview Bridge was closed due to rising Mississippi river waters. The bridge connects Illinois to Missouri via U.S. Route 24. (Jake Shane/Quincy Herald-Whig via AP)
The Associated Press
In a Wednesday, May 29, 2019 photo, volunteers fill and stack sandbags for the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency in Valmeyer, Ill. If needed the sandbags will be used to raise levee low spots and to help with sand boils. On June 4, it's expected to crest at 45.2 feet. Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing said Tuesday that if the level reaches 46 feet, he will ask all residents in the floodplain to evacuate. The historic 1993 crest was 49.58 in St. louis. (Derik Holtmann/Belleville News-Democrat via AP)
The Associated Press
In a Wednesday, May 29, 2019 photo, Breanna Scheibe of Waterloo and other volunteers fill and stack sandbags for the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency in Valmeyer, Ill. If needed the sandbags will be used to raise levee low spots and to help with sand boils. On June 4, it's expected to crest at 45.2 feet. Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing said Tuesday that if the level reaches 46 feet, he will ask all residents in the floodplain to evacuate. The historic 1993 crest was 49.58 in St. louis. (Derik Holtmann/Belleville News-Democrat via AP)
The Associated Press