Spring began with rounds of severe weather, bringing high winds, tornados and heavy rain through Indiana Michigan Power's (I&M) territory. Further south, much of southern Illinois and Kentucky saw the Ohio River rise after four straight days of stalled heavy rain. As the river continued to rise, flooding became an immediate concern for homes and businesses in the Massac County area. To prevent the waters from invading homes as best they could, sand from I&M's Cook Coal Terminal was available to bag.
Located along the Ohio River in Metropolis, Ill., Cook Coal Terminal (CCT) works to transfer coal from rail cars to river barges for delivery to I&M's Rockport Plant. In addition to the many bulldozers, motor vessels and rail cars and locomotives is an abundance of sand on site. This has been generated by years of dredging from the harbor on the Ohio River and is held in an onsite disposal area.
Beginning April 2, Massac and surrounding counties faced a round of severe weather that included four thunderstorm warnings, four tornado watches and two confirmed tornados. The rain from this storm system stayed in the area through April 6, raising river levels to dangerous heights. This increased the need for sandbags to block rapidly rising waters.
Working with the AEP team, CCT has been able to offer the sand on their worksite to local emergency management organizations to use for sand bagging to protect properties from local flooding. With wet weather so far this year, four agencies have established release agreements with CCT to utilize this as preparation for flooding events.
"The team at Cook Coal Terminal believe in helping our community when in need," said Jamie Peyton, plant manager. "We are always happy to support local efforts to assist those who call this area home when the need arises."
A few years ago, CCT provided as many as 250 loads of sand to support local communities impacted by flooding in Illinois and Kentucky.
Vea nuestra community page for more information on how I&M is supporting our local communities and how staff are making a difference through volunteering for their neighbors.