UNION, JACKSON COUNTIES GET WORST RAIN DAMAGE

ANNA, Ill. -- Union and Jackson counties in Southern Illinois bore the brunt of heavy rain Friday with flash floods, mudslides and closed roads.

Illinois State Police in Ullin said the region averaged about 6 inches of rain Friday, but the heaviest activity occurred in Union County near Anna. Average rainfall in Ullin was about 2 inches.

No major accidents were reported as a result of the rains, but officers in the region were kept busy checking water levels and road conditions. The Illinois State Police advise drivers to call them or local sheriff's departments if they have any concerns about the safety of a particular road.

Union County Sheriff's Department deputy Craig Siegfried said his department spent Friday night and all day Saturday checking the conditions of county roads. Ten roads were closed Friday night, he said, and three roads remained closed Saturday afternoon.

Siegfried said the bridges on John Rich School Road and Depper Road were destroyed beyond repair by rising waters. Old Cape Road, located east of Route 3, also remains closed to traffic, he said, and a road located north of Cobden near the Johnson County line was also damaged by a large mudslide Friday night.

"We've been really busy since last night," said Siegfried. "Drivers need to really be careful if there's water on a road, because they can't always tell how deep it's going to be. We've also had instances where the road looked sound but the foundation beneath it was completely wiped out. If a car had driven on something like that, it would have sunk in, kind of like a sinkhole."

Officials in Alexander and Pulaski counties said they only received 1 to 2 inches of rain overnight and had no reported damage to roads or property. Sheriff's deputies in both counties continued to check water levels and patrol county roads for damage on Saturday.

"We didn't have any reports of any major flooding," said Alexander County Sheriff Buddy Mitchell. "That doesn't mean we're not going to get any, though, because we're at the bottom end of everything."

The village of Makanda, located north of Cobden in Jackson County, was heavily hit by weekend storms. Flash flooding caused extensive damage in the village, and residents spent most of Saturday trying to clean up local parks and streets.

Elected officials were not available for comment Saturday, but emergency personnel in the nearby township of Makanda said flood damage was extensive in the village.

""The mayor is out on the streets with everyone else trying to clean up," said Al Yancy, deputy chief of the Makanda Township Fire Department. "All we do know is they have had considerable damage to the village and the railroads. We're recommending anybody out venturing down there should steer away so they can get their town cleaned up."

An extended forecast from The National Weather Service predicts continued rain in Southern Illinois through Wednesday. A stubborn low pressure area over the region will mean cloudy skies and a continued chance of rain most of the week, although grounds should start to dry out Thursday. Temperatures are expected to range from the mid-50s to upper-70s all week.