Flood in Alexander, Illinois

Major flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. The river rose above flood stage at Thebes on May 8, then reached its crest of 44.3 feet on May 18. Flood stage at Thebes is 33 feet. This resulted in extensive flooding of farmland and threats to some developments. Backwater from the Mississippi threatened dozens of homes in the Horseshoe Lake area, including the Miller City and Olive Branch communities. These communities are between Cairo and East Cape Girardeau. As was the case in the floods of 1993 and 1995, emergency measures were taken to reinforce and build up levees around Olive Branch and Miller City. The levees held up, but structures not protected by levees were flooded. About 30 families evacuated due to flooding of their residences, mainly in the Miller City and McClure areas. At Thebes, the town's riverfront park was flooded, and a house and a church were flooded. Elsewhere, from Jackson County to Cairo, secondary roads near the river were closed, and parks and farmland were underwater.