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Pritzker Orders More Guard Troops To Fight Flooding

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has activated an additional 80 Illinois National Guard troops for flood-fighting efforts in southern Illinois.

The governor's office said about 140 Guard troops now are being used for sandbagging operations, levee monitoring and security in East Cape Girardeau, McClure and Gale.

It says state agencies have moved more than 150,000 sandbags, more than two dozen pumps, and other flood-fighting tools to the area to keep evacuation routes open.

However, due to inland flooding, both Illinois Route 3 and Illinois Route 146 in the immediate area of East Cape Girardeau are no passable.

The Ohio River is among the streams flooding in the region.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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