WIUM: The Flood Continues in Henderson County (2008-07-23)

WIUM Local

The Flood Continues in Henderson County

(2008-07-23)

Flood waters continue to cover the entire town of Gulfport.

GULFPORT, IL (wium) - One of the biggest disasters caused by the Great Flood of 2008 happened in Gulfport. That's where a levee gave way more than one month ago, allowing the Mississippi to swamp the town, a major highway, and thousands of acres of farmland.

Flood waters have receded but have not gone away. All of Gulfport's homes and businesses remain in water. Some roofs contain flood debris. Cars and pickup trucks are at least half submerged. A muddy grime covers everything.

Crews are on hand to, as they say, "de-water" Gulfport. They're removing up to 75-million gallons of water every day, returning it to the river. But progress is slow. It's estimated eight-billion gallons of water covered the town.

In the meantime, no one knows when Gulfport's 200 residents will be allowed to return home, and no one knows if there will be a home for them to return to.

You can listen to News Director Rich Egger's update on the flood in Gulfport by clicking on the audio button. © Copyright 2009, wium