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Local Business Recovering From Flood Waters; Working Twelve Hour Days

TAHLEQUAH (KFSM) — The flooding from a few weeks ago may be long gone, but it’s still impacting people where you live. Recently, the Illinois River ...

TAHLEQUAH (KFSM) -- The flooding from a few weeks ago may be long gone, but it's still impacting people where you live.

Recently, the Illinois River abandoned its normally timid, scenic view. Flood waters caused chaos for the locals and business owners.

The property owner at Eagle Bluff Resorts says the water was thirty feet higher than normal. He's been working 12 hour days ever since.

"The river, it actually takes about two days to reach its peak from when it starts raining. We got about seven inches of rain."

"That's one and a half million gallons just flowing right through the river valley. Amazing," he remarked.

The rushing flood waters damaged anything and everything -- even the roads that carried it.

"So what we do, we just go in there and level it all out, make it all look nice and flat so it'll be easy to drive down."

Bennett estimates it took nearly 40 new bags of gravel to fix his roads that way.

Nearby, the electrical system took some damage, too.

"The water was coming through here about six feet deep, something like that. And it completely knocked over the pedestal."

The underground power is fine, Bennett says. But some electrical equipment is receiving some attention in the recovery effort.

Meanwhile, the volleyball courts are without sand.

"It always takes the sand away from the volleyball courts. But the nice thing is it's easy to fix."

To Bennett's relief, the sand is being replaced and soon. After some long six day work weeks, the recovery effort is finally coming to an end.

"We're really looking forward to not having a flooded river, but having a place where people can come and have a great time. We're really just about there."

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