Efforts to restore power to those still without electricity are continuing in McLean County. Ameren Illinois estimates 6,800 customers remain powerless following the wind and ice storm, which knocked down trees and power lines throughout the county. That's 12% of Ameren's total McLean County customer base.
Many customers are reporting they've been told by Ameren it may be as late as 10 P.M. before the lights are back on.
While the clean-up continues, officials have turned their attention to rising waters. The surging Mississippi River has Illinois prison officials preparing for possible flooding at Menard Correctional Center near Chester. The facility contains 3,700 inmates. Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Nicole Wilson says that employees and emergency work crews at the prison are filling sandbags and ``working around the clock'' as the nearby floodwaters continue to rise.
The maximum security prison is on lockdown, and visits have been suspended. Officials also anticipate having to bring in hundreds of portable toilets in case the prison's water service is shut down.
