Flooding hits the county overnight

by Steve Dunford 

Flooding last night on Route 37 South, near St. Louis Street in West Frankfort. (Image by WSIL Meteorologist-Storm Chaser Tony Laubach

Flash flooding caused havoc overnight across the county as four to six inches of precipitation fell. Most of the rain was in the southeast corner of the county in the West Frankfort-Thompsonville areas.   Just to our immediate south, there were evacuations in Herrin

According to a spokesman from the Franklin County Sheriff’s office, Yellowbanks at the Big Muddy River, and Deering Road (18 Bottoms) are closed.  Two other flood prone areas Park Street and Peach Orchard road, crossing the Little Muddy at the Perry County line are still open, as the northwest corner of the county.

A representative from the West Frankfort Police Department said the flood plain in the Northwest park of the city is flooded this morning.  There was only one evacuation that took place. The pumps installed after the Flood of ’93 are working properly.  Two more pumps are coming from Eldorado to help the water recede.

A lot of the rural roads in Cave township  have water over the road in flood prone areas, near West Frankfort Lake  and Southeast of Thompsonville.

I contacted the Saline County Sheriffs office to check on the condition of Route 34 between Galatia and Thompsonville where it floods in the bottoms, just east of West End. There is water over the road near the intersection of Rileyville road and near the Harco blacktop.  Route 34 is still open, however.

The Sheriff’s office also included that if someone was heading to Harrisburg from this direction, stay with Route 34 instead of the Harco Blacktop, as he described it a mess. They said that water is over the road around American Coal, was closed for a while, but back open.

There is a Flood Warning in effect for Franklin County until 2:30 p.m. that replaced the Flash Flood Warning.  If you are out and about, please follow the principle of go around, don’t drown.