Arcola officials detail storm gaps and seek generators, high-water rescue gear

Chief Clark told the council the city activated its emergency operations on July 7 and worked 12-hour shifts through the storm, but lost phone and power service and could not receive 911 calls locally: "Our phone service was lost, so we couldn't receive emergency calls" (Chief Clark). He described two high-water rescues where officers waded chest-deep because the city lacked a high-water vehicle and said the lift station outages led to sewer backups in homes.

The fire chief, speaking after the police update, said the district ran about 120 calls in 36 hours — far above normal volumes — and used the new station as a cooling center during response. He urged the council to consider a high-water vehicle and portable generator capacity, noting the fire district has proposed a high-water vehicle in its FY25 budget request but that purchase is not guaranteed: "We put in the budget for fiscal year 25 to purchase a high water vehicle. No promises made yet" (Fire Chief).

City staff said five displaced families were temporarily sheltered in hotels and FEMA assistance is expected for reimbursement; the mayor said the city is coordinating debris removal with the county and private haulers but warned the complete cleanup will take months due to FEMA vendor requirements. Council members and staff identified near-term needs: a backup generator for city hall, portable generator drop options, barricades tailored for high-water events, fuel staging or above-ground storage, and a high-water rescue vehicle. No new procurement was approved at the meeting; staff will return with cost estimates and funding sources.