MARION - Williamson, Saline and Union County officials met earlier this week with representatives of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and have been assured that help is on the way. Officials from each of the counties declared a state of emergency at the conclusion of last week's wintry storm.

Williamson County Highway Department Director Jim Webb said a crew of 10 Department of Corrections inmates will assist in debris removal next week. Moreover, the Department of Transportation will provide a dump truck and some backhoes to aid county work crews. "We had to provide a map of roads that need to be cleaned up," Webb said. "We've designated burn sites where tree limbs and brush can be hauled."

Webb said IEMA officials told the county to track extraordinary costs incurred from both ice storms as it's possible the county could receive some financial reimbursement in the weeks ahead.

Board Chair Brent Gentry said IEMA officials will not lend assistance to the county during an ongoing ice storm, but will hit the ground running next week with debris removal.

"Pretty much everything's on hold until this storm goes through," Gentry said.

Saline County Emergency Management Agency director Allan Ninness said he, too, has met with IEMA officials and will receive state assistance next week.

"I want to get the word out to our residents, particularly those in Harrisburg, Carrier Mills and Stonefort, that the quicker they can get their tree limbs and debris to the curb, the quicker our crews and the state crews can pick them up and take them away," Ninness said.

"I just hope everyone will be patient with us. It's going to take time to get everything cleaned up," he added.

Union County Emergency Services Disaster Agency director Dana Pearson said city officials with Jonesboro, Anna and Cobden have all asked for state assistance, while Dongola and Alto Pass officials plan to complete cleanup efforts on their own.

"It's probably going to take three to four weeks to get most everything cleaned up," Pearson said. "But at least we'll have some help in the form of Department of Corrections work crews and IDOT trucks."

john.homan@thesouthern.com

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