Agencies
Services
Press Release – Saturday, June 1, 2019
Possible online services disruption due to Internet related outage
IEMA Mobilizes Team to Support Calhoun, Jersey Counties
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency has mobilized a Joint Quick Reactionary Task Force to Hardin to assist with emergency flood fight operations in Calhoun and Jersey counties. This Task Force is comprised of members of the Illinois National Guard (ILNG), Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) and Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). This 66-member team will be stationed in Hardin 24/7 to provide sandbagging efforts for critical infrastructure, levee surveillance and additional security.
“The on-going flood fight in Jersey and Calhoun County is at a critical level,” said Acting IEMA Director, Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “We have strongly advised the residents in these river communities to consider evacuating as rivers continue to swell to near record levels and push against overly-saturated levees. This team will work hand-in-hand with the community to protect its critical infrastructure, assist with road closures, evacuations and ensure overall resident safety.”
The Joint Quick Reaction Taskforce is comprised of the following:
- Illinois National Guard: 28-soldiers for sandbagging and levee protection;
- ILEAS: 22 member police officers will be on-hand to conduct life-safety operations;
- MABAS: 16 personnel to assist with emergency river missions,
Established a Tent City that provides lodging for emergency responders in Hardin
On Friday, Governor JB Pritzker activated 200 Illinois National Guard soldiers for State Active Duty to assist with the state's flood fight operations and urged all residents in affected communities to listen to the directions of first responders. Another 200 soldiers are on stand-by to assist with this mission.
The State Emergency Operation Center in Springfield has been mobilized since mid-March to assist local communities battling flooding along the Illinois, Mississippi rivers and its tributaries.
A State Unified Area Command, or SUAC, has been established in Winchester (Scott County) to coordinated assistance with the response efforts in the affected region.
For more information related to the current flood event and flood safety visit the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.