Herculean Efforts: Sandbaggers Attempt to Best Coming Deluge

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ALTON - Volunteers from across the area congregated to the large lots on Henry Street throughout the day on Friday in an effort to hold back the coming flood. Crest numbers are hovering around a predicted 39 feet Tuesday for Alton, meaning the city is facing the second largest flood in its history.

To combat it, a call for volunteers was posted Thursday morning asking for any available folks to fill and move sandbags. Early Friday afternoon, volunteers were wiping their brows and filling sacks from a dwindling pile of sand. They said it was heaping early in the morning.

Volunteers came from the Alton School District, area businesses such as Lowe's and Home Depot and from the general public. Work stations, looking like they could have been used during '93, we're established as crews filled, tied and tossed bags to be moved. A group from the Illinois Department of Corrections was also on hand to assist with the efforts.

Other remedies to stave the flood include plugging sewer channels under the city and establishing 36-inch culverts to equalize the water in the imminent event of manhole covers failing. A diver from St. Louis was sent into the city's sewers to do that work. The Alton Fire Department oversaw the efforts Friday.

Water, pizza and sunscreen were provided for volunteers as was a cooling station for folks needing out of the heat.

Alton Fire Chief Bernie Sebold said he did not expect levels to reach '93 numbers but said it would likely go just below them. As the current forecast stands, he may be right, as predicted crests are now within two feet of '93 numbers. Half of Alton's highest floods of all time have happened in the last 11 years, and National Weather Service (NWS) Hydrologist Mark Fuchs said it was due to rainfall numbers, adding that was likely because of climate change. He did not comment as to what was causing that change, however.Chris Rhodes also contributed to this story.

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