Residents ordered to evacuate after Nashville, Ill. dam failure
NASHVILLE, Ill. – The Washington County Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday morning that water overtopped the Nashville City Reservoir dam, located an hour southeast of St. Louis.
EMA has advised residents located south of the reservoir, to evacuate their homes immediately. Residents were told the community center in Nashville is open for shelter.
“The dam here in town has been overtopped by extensive rains. We had 299 homes in the area that we ordered the evacuation of,” Alex Haglund from the Washington County Emergency Management Agency said. “We’ve had a lot of responders from other areas coming to help us, and they have not had an easy time getting here.”
Around 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, EMA says the secondary dam failed at the Nashville City Reservoir and is overtopped with flood waters.
The National Weather Service also announced Tuesday morning that Washington and Clinton County have upgraded from a flash flood warning to a considerable flash flood.
The upgrade, according to the National Weather Service, means the flash flooding is a more dangerous situation than usual.
I-64, going east and west of Nashville, has been closed due to flooding. A commercial vehicle was reported to be under water in the area.
Additionally, US Highway 50 in Lebanon, Illinois, between State Route 4 and Belleville, Illinois, has been closed due to the flooding.
“We’re trying to find our way through, we’re coming from Cairo, Illinois, to St. Louis Airport to pick up a relative,” Mashea Spencer, nearby resident, said. “We’re going to have to go around, we’re going to have to go back to Pickneyville…then we’ll be able to head to St. Louis that way.”
Illinois State Police say they have responded to three property damage crashes in the Washington County area. It is unknown if these crashes are flood-related.
Heavy rainfalls left many drivers stranded, including Hank Sketzkorn.
“I came into town to Hardee’s to get some breakfast this morning, and the good Lord decided to keep the water coming. Now I can’t get back home,” he said. “All four ways is blocked; I can’t get back there.”
This is a developing story; please check back as the newsroom receives more information.
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