Quinn in Cairo: 'God' will get town through flood

[May 03, 2011]  CAIRO -- For the second time in two weeks, Gov. Pat Quinn visited southern Illinois' flood zone. This time, however, Quinn put his boots on the ground in Cairo, the town threatened to be overrun with floodwaters from both the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

The governor took some criticism last week for visiting Marion, 50 miles north of Cairo, instead of the flood-stricken city.

During his Monday trip to Cairo, Quinn announced the deployment of an additional 100 National Guardsmen to help fill new sandbags in the battle to fight the flooding in towns along the rising Ohio River. That brings the total up to 485 guardsmen, Quinn said.

"There is no way on God's earth that we can control nature," Quinn said. "We have to respect nature. And we are going to do our mightiest to make sure that people are safe and sound."

State Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said Quinn's trip on Monday made up for hurt feelings from last week.

"It is important that the governor's presence (is) being made known in those areas where they are suffering the most," Bost said.

Cairo Mayor Judson Childs said it was good to have Quinn and officers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standing behind him on Monday.

"I'm glad to look up at their faces," Childs said. "When you have a team, when you are playing ball, you look around and you look for some support, and it makes you feel much better."

On Sunday, Childs ordered residents to leave the city.

"I'd much rather evacuate and nothing happen than to stay here and lose lives," he said.

Despite the threat of flooding, about 200 of the city's nearly 3,000 residents are staying behind. Former Mayor James Wilson is one of them. Wilson said Quinn was slow in responding with flood relief efforts.

"We felt early on we wished he had been there earlier to join the battle at that time," Wilson said.

By Monday evening, the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., reported the Ohio River at Cairo crested at 61.44 feet, almost 2 feet higher than the record 1937 flood. Flood stage is 40 feet.

"I think with God's help we will get through this crisis," Quinn said. "And I think it is important to realize that our state government -- we will spend whatever necessary to fight this flood."

[Illinois Statehouse News; By DIANE S.W. LEE]