MOUNDS, Ill. (HEARTLAND NEWS) - Floodwaters rushed through neighborhoods in Mounds, forcing families to get what they could to stay dry with more rain in the forecast. Residents spent the day carrying out belongings and wading through water that reached knee-high in some areas of an apartment complex.
Family members stopped by to check on loved ones or pick them up. Some worried they might not be able to reach them if the rain returns. One of them, Scotty Henry, came to check on his mother-in-law.
“We took her to the store to get her some essentials just in case we get flooded in and we can’t get back out to get to her,” Scotty Henry said.
Henry said flooding has been a problem in the area for years, but nothing like this.
“It’s been an ongoing experience for everyone else out here. We just have poor drainage issues here in Mounds,” Henry said. “It’s flooded before, probably not to this capacity, but to a certain extent.”
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As the water kept rising, the Mounds Fire Department called in boats from Mounds City to help rescue people trapped inside their apartments. Fire Captain Curtland Sawyer said he had never seen flooding like this before.
“There was a lot of cars that were on water and that was different. I had never seen that before either. I was just traumatized,” Sawyer said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. I don’t think that’s something that no one wants to experience.”
Leaders warned people to turn off their electricity if floodwaters start entering their homes. The warning came after one person was electrocuted during the flooding.
“They could end up getting electrocuted from the water with extension cords. One house had a fan running and it fell over the floor still running when we got there,” Mounds City Fire Chief Johnnie Coonrod said. “It’s a wonder she did not get electrocuted.”
While first responders led rescue efforts, the Mounds fire chief’s own home was flooded. He said his family lost most of their belongings, but the support from the community has been a reminder of how people come together when it matters most.
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