With another round of bad weather coming our way on Wednesday Jackson county emergency officials say some areas should expect flooding.
JACKSON COUNTY, Ill. (WSIL) --With another round of bad weather coming our way on Wednesday, Jackson County emergency officials say some areas should expect flooding.
Carbondale's Fire Department Captain Sean Sherwood says first responders are preparing to respond to any severe weather calls they may get due to Wednesday's thunderstorms.
“We're in constant contact with the National Weather Service, who was on conference calls yesterday as well as today. We update city officials on any incoming information with that,� Sherwood said.
He says water rescues are not typical for them in Carbondale, but they do happen sometimes during floods.
“When the water's really high, we've got some people out of trees and off the roof of their houses. So those are definitely memorable situations 'cause they're pretty rare,� Sherwood said.
He says they have, when severe weather hits, it usually fast, but their trucks are already loaded with equipment they might need.
“We have inflatable boats that we can have ready to go on in just a matter of minutes,� Sherwood says. “But really we just encourage people to monitor the weather, turn on the weather radios, and keep an eye on the news for incoming information.�
Orval Rowe with the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency says the area is expecting a lot of rain, which is a cause for concern.
“We're looking at hail, we're looking at damaging winds, and we're looking at tornadoes. Then after that, rolling into Thursday, we're looking at flooding, and it could be historical flooding,� Rowe said.
He says the best thing people can do at home is clean out their drains to help prevent some causes of flooding.
“Maybe let's check our culverts; let's even maybe help the townships out. Just look and see if there's something plugged up. If we can take a rig, take a shovel, and maybe clean those out,� Rowe said.
Rowe reminds people if they see roadways with water in them, not to drive over them.
“You don't know that underneath the water you drive into, you're going to lose, you know, it's a possibility. Lose your life. I mean, it's just not turn around, don't drown, use a few more minutes, make an alternate route,� Rowe said.
Officials with Jackson County say they have a weather notifications system called that county residents can sign up to receive severe weather updates and warnings.Â
