Historic Nauvoo House in Danger of Flooding

(Nauvoo House and sandbags trying to keep floodwater out)

In case you haven't heard, some historic sites in Nauvoo are in danger because of massive flooding on the Mississippi River. On top of that, a levee broke on Tuesday causing even more flooding and the potential for as many as 26 more levee's overflowing. The building most in danger in Nauvoo is the historic Nauvoo House which is situated very close to the river bank. Here are some excerpts of articles in the Deseret News on the flood:

Deseret News, Tuesday 17 June 2008
"Volunteers are filling sandbags in and around Nauvoo, Ill., to protect historic church landmarks in the event of flooding on the Mississippi River.The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for areas along the Mississippi that stretch through Illinois and Missouri."

Deseret News, Wednesday 18 June 2008
"A call for volunteers to fill sandbags to help protect historic Nauvoo, Ill., and surrounding areas went out last week. It was answered in force by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including BYU Folk Dancers, young performing missionaries and young sister missionaries assigned to Nauvoo."

"Employees and missionaries working for NRI or Nauvoo Restoration Inc. — which handles LDS historic preservation and restoration projects in Nauvoo — and senior missionaries from the Illinois Nauvoo Mission also pitched in.
Together the groups worked to fill sandbags and protect the historic Nauvoo House — once home to Joseph Smith Jr. and now owned by the Community of Christ church — and Niota, a small neighboring community, said Sister Donna Whisenant, who is serving as a LDS public affairs missionary with her husband, Vern, in Nauvoo. They are from Provo."

"Lachlan Mackay, historic sites director for the Community of Christ church, said Tuesday he woke up knowing that the historic Nauvoo House was going to be threatened by the rising Mississippi. Worse was the fact that he didn't have a plan of action to protect it."

"Working with government agencies, the community and the LDS Church, Mackay said they were able to shore up the levee behind the Nauvoo House. The LDS Church responded to his request for help by hauling 150 cubic yards of sand to the historic structure, where members of BYU's Folk Dancers filled the bags."

"While there are still concerns that the levee will hold when the river crests today, the BYU students said they felt lucky to help."

(Funny caption on a website: "Joseph asking Brigham where the road is")

Let's hope and pray the flooding will stop, and that the sandbag efforts of volunteers in the area will prevent any damage to this very important historic site.