Nashville, Illinois, Forced to Evacuate After Dam Failures

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Residents of Nashville, Illinois, approximately 55 miles southeast of St. Louis, were forced to evacuate their homes after heavy rains caused the failure of the town’s two dams.

Around 200 homes were issued evacuation orders at about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday due to the “imminent” failure of a city-owned earthen dam. The city reservoir overflowed one structure while a second dam broke as designed.

Alex Haglund, the public information officer for Washington County, Illinois, stated in a Facebook video that there were no fatalities or serious injuries. However, some homes in the spillway’s path experienced waist-high water levels, and one individual required rescue.

The same weather system that impacted the dam also led to numerous road closures throughout the county. Neighboring agencies attempting to assist faced difficulties due to these closures, with some needing to re-route or wait before they could help.

A shelter was established at Trinity Lutheran Church, and the American Red Cross has been activated to support the affected residents. Red Cross officials stated they would collaborate with local partners to identify ongoing community needs and coordinate recovery services.

Photos from St. Louis Public Radio showed cars halted as floodwaters inundated Illinois Route 127 near Nashville, Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation closed I-64 north of Nashville for much of Tuesday, resulting in delays for travelers, including trucker Ramoses Johnson from North Carolina.

Ben Hogan, from the National Weather Service in St. Louis, noted forecasters anticipated some storms and isolated flash flooding but did not expect such widespread heavy rain.

Washington County received over six inches of rain, according to Haglund.

Flooding in Missouri

The same storm system caused flash flooding in the St. Louis area. Scott Air Force Base went to mission-essential status around 11:30 a.m. due to flooding on the base and surrounding roads. The St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency reported multiple road closures and substantial water levels affecting local areas, including Illinois 158 and North Belt Road in Belleville. The St. Clair County Animal Adoption Center also had to be evacuated.

In St. Louis, the Fire Department responded to various reports of people trapped in vehicles due to high water. Flooding was reported on Chouteau Avenue, Interstate 64 near the St. Louis Zoo, and low-lying areas along Riverview Drive. The Missouri Department of Transportation closed lanes of Interstate 270 in Florissant due to water on the road.

Flooding images also emerged from Maplewood, which experienced severe flash flooding in 2022.

This report includes contributions from Joshua Carter of the Belleville News-Democrat.

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