BREAK BUYS TOWN TIME

COMMERCE -- A levee south of Commerce broke Monday morning, sending the rampaging Mississippi River across thousands of acres of cropland while holding rising floodwater in temporary abeyance in this flood-weary Scott County community.

Danny Max, Cairo, Ill., area commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, said the breach of the Powers Island private levee at about 8:30 a.m. more equally distributed the water over a larger area.

"They may see a 2-inch drop," said Max. "But it will return in a day or so."

Roy Jones, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Commerce, said many residents see the broken levee as a blessing. "Two or 3 inches give us a little time," Jones said, "maybe enough time for someone to save their home."

Buck Hanners has managed to keep water out of his home by putting sandbags around his yard and pumping out the water that manages to seep in. This is the way most Commerce residents have combated the flood.

Some hope the relief from the levee break will give them enough time to prepare for the rise when it returns. Hanners said he plans to build his wall higher while the water is down.

Hanners said he was glad the levee broke. "I wish every damned levee between here and New Orleans would break," he said.

Other residents, namely the farmers, weren't happy.

"It's going to affect several thousand acres," Jones said. "When water gets in there, their crops are lost."

Sandra Michael, whose husband owns a farm south of Commerce, said the break will be costly.

"It's going to destroy all of our crops," Michael said. "We had all of our corn planted and the wheat was ready to be harvested in June."

Jones said matters could get worse in Commerce. Already in Commerce 26 structures, two garages, a city building and 23 homes are flooded.

"It's devastating," Jones said. "To know everything you've worked for all your life could go down the tubes."

Darriel Williams said his home is flooded so lower water will do him little good. "It's in there pretty deep," said Williams. "It's up to 14 inches inside."

Williams said he didn't expect it this soon and had little time to prepare.

"When you lose everything, and there isn't anything you can do about it, you feel helpless," said Williams.

Some residents have had to evacuate their homes.

James and Sharon Byassee decided to leave their flooded home Monday because of Sharon Byassee's heart condition. She had heart problems before and they decided, since they require a boat to leave their home, it would not be safe to stay.

The water, which began creeping up Thursday, is already higher in Commerce than it was in the flood of 1993.

"They're getting the effect of the higher water of Cairo," said Max. "It's 53 feet in Cairo; it never got above 50 feet in '93. This time, they're getting it from both sides."

Jones said that the water is a good 6 inches higher than it was in 1993, but the people of Commerce aren't giving up the fight.

"We've done 500 percent more sandbagging than we did in '93," Jones said. "There's a spirit in town that hasn't been here before. "We're not giving up."