Many flee Cairo homes

CAIRO, Ill. -- Around 250 households Wednesday heeded the voluntary evacuation order from Cairo Mayor Judson Child, according to the Cairo Police Department.

Residents have been asked to tell law enforcement if they leave Cairo, so if a mandatory evacuation is ordered they'll know who has already left.

Childs was still asking residents Wednesday to voluntarily evacuate as water levels along the Ohio River continue to rise. The river was at 58.4 feet at 4 p.m. The river is expected to crest at 60.5 feet Sunday.

While the order isn't mandatory, Childs asked city residents to take the evacuation seriously.

The mayor has spoken out in the media in favor of a plan by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to blow a levee at Birds Point to lower river levels in cities upstream like Cairo.