MURPHYSBORO (WSIL) -- WSIL's coverage area has dealt with flooding over the years. But flooding from a river is very different from flash flooding that we're seeing from Hurricane Ida.
News 3 spoke with the city of Murphysboro Thursday afternoon. The emergency management director says after experiencing multiple river flooding events, they've learned from the past and are trying to keep it from repeating.
When historic flooding hit Murphysboro in 2017, the crest level for the Big Muddy River reached 40 feet. Mayor Will Stephens says he recalls some of its impact, including shutting down the Route 13 bridge.
"There were some electrical substations that had to be sandbagged to keep the water from encroaching on those. There were a number of lower-line streets that had to be closed down. It did impact Riverside Park," he said.
Mayor Stephens and Murphysboro Emergency Management Director Brian Manwaring say mitigation efforts have helped over the last few years.
They say the city acquired property located in the flood plain, put restrictions there to prevent building more structures, and they've improved Stewart Lane, formally known as West Riverside Park Road, which leads to the city's sewer plant.
"That put our employees in a tough situation where they had to go through flood water or potentially get in a boat to get to work. And it was a very dangerous situation and the city has spent a significant amount of money to build a new road into the plant and raise that road above the flood plain," said Manwaring.
Manwaring says although river flooding can still happen today, he encourages residents to always have a plan for rain events and keep track of the weather.
"You just have to know your surroundings and you know, be aware of what's going on. If you're in a location that has that potential for a flash flood, or you're near a creek or a stream or a river, and there's heavy rains around you, you need to be aware that you have to seek shelter quite rapidly," he said.
Mayor Stephens and Manwaring also say to keep an eye on your sump pumps in your basement to prevent flooding.
