CAIRO BRACES FOR THE WORST

CAIRO, Ill. -- City workers are doing what they can to prepare for near-record river levels.

The Ohio River is expected to crest at 55 feet on the Cairo gauge Thursday, 15 feet over flood stage but short of the record 59.5 feet in 1937.

The Memphis District of the Army Corps of Engineers was to initiate a floodfight in the region at 6 a.m. today. The Phase II operation begins when the river stage reaches 52 feet at Cairo. It consists of monitoring flood-control structures and providing technical assistance and materials to local communities.

Field offices are being set up in Cairo, Caruthersville, Mo., Cape Girardeau and Dyersburg, Tenn., putting 28 Corps emergency workers in the field.

Memphis District emergency manager Jack Hurdle said the federal flood-control system is in excellent shape and levies are not saturated like they might be later in the year.

Cairo Mayor James Wilson said 55 feet is higher than it was in 1993 and 1994, and will be the highest level since 1973.

Wilson said he isn't comfortable with water nearing the top of the levies designed to protect the city from 65 feet on the gauge.

"That would be pretty scary when you're looking up and the water is about 20 feet above your city," he said.

Cairo was hit with almost 6 inches of rain over the weekend, said the National Weather Service at Paducah, Ky. The downpours backed up drainage ditches, flooded streets and dumped 2 feet of water in Wilson's basement.

Firefighters Saturday responded to 15 calls to homes with flooded basements where water doused pilot flames in water heaters and furnaces.

Cairo Fire Department Capt. Harvey Clark said rescue workers had to cut off gas and check carbon dioxide levels in most of the homes. Firefighters had to take their main tanker through flooded streets as they responded to the calls.

Cairo Fire Chief Mike Bray spent Monday checking the streets to see if they were passable. "If we got stuck back somewhere it would take that engine out of service," Clark said, explaining the city only has three fire engines. "It's our first-response engine, too," he said.

"Some of the guys that have been here awhile are saying they've never seen it this bad," he said.

Wilson said it is the most flood damage he has seen in many years.

One of the city's two water pumps was hit early Saturday morning by lightning. The pumps had been working steadily to clear the sewer system of excess water. The damaged pump was out of action for about two hours, Wilson said.

City workers have closed all the levy gaps and are stacking sand bags along the seams to prevent seepage.