PONTIAC - The flooding claimed its second victim when a 36-year-old Pontiac man slipped and fell into a flooded basement while carrying an extension cord. | New photo gallery | Reader-submitted photos | Complete coverage | Videos: 1 | 2 | 3

Livingston County Coroner Mike Burke identified the man as Michael D. "Mick" Huxtable, 36, of Pontiac. The accident happened about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a Ford County man died when his car was flooded near Paxton.

Pontiac river levels appear to have fallen slightly overnight Wednesday, according to data from the National Weather Service. Mayor Scott McCoy has asked people to give plenty of room to emergency workers and to prepare to volunteer for clean-up work when the water recedes.

Two days of torrential rains and melting snow contributed to the record swell of the Vermilion River, which snakes through the heart of Pontiac. At Congerville, lesser flooding was expected when the Mackinaw River crested sometime Wednesday about five feet over flood stage.

The problems only will be worsened today as Central Illinois faces rain throughout the day, changing to snow overnight. The temperatures also are expected to drop, the weather service said Thursday morning.

Most of Central Illinois remains under a flood warning.

Sandbagging near the Mill Street Bridge and the Illinois American Water Co. plant continued into the night Wednesday while the state declared Livingston and Iroquois counties a disaster area.

By 9 p.m. Wednesday, Pontiac police and fire departments evacuated about 100 homes and 23 people were staying the night at the Pontiac Community Center adjacent to Pontiac Township High School, according to city officials.

The Vermilion River, which cuts through the central portion of Pontiac, reached the record flood stage of 19.2 feet sometime during the afternoon Wednesday, city officials said. The record of 19.16 feet was set in 1982.

That year some inmates from the state's Pontiac Correctional Center were evacuated from one wing of the prison, said Derek Schnapp, corrections spokesman. But prison officials don't foresee any need to move the center's inmates during this flooding. The maximum-security facility is several blocks away from the Vermilion River, and houses about 1,660 adult male prisoners.

"We're high and dry. But of course, we're always monitoring it," said Schnapp. On Wednesday night, the prison had some flooding in a powerhouse station's basement. But that was cleared out by this morning, he said.

The National Weather Service officially recorded the Vermilion at 18.61 feet late Wednesday night - almost 5 feet above flood stage - but city officials say accurate measurements are difficult. The crest wasn't projected to happen until noon today, but water levels will stay high for a while, city officials said.

"It has been hovering above the 19-feet mark most of the day, so we are sure it has passed that at this point," said Mayor Scott McCoy.

The forecast today calls for a 60 percent to 70 percent chance of rain turning to snow in Pontiac.

On Tuesday McCoy declared Pontiac a disaster area in order to receive state assistance with cleanup and evacuations. Along with McCoy's declaration, the state issued a disaster declaration just after 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Gauging the river's depth is now tough for city officials. With so much water going over the Mill Street dam, the water company's measuring devices are no longer getting an accurate reading.

City Administrator Bob Karls said city crews are trying to come up with a way to measure the river, likely at the Humiston-Riverside Park, so they know how fast the water is still rising.

McCoy got another aerial view of the flooding Wednesday, and he said that there were several tributaries and creeks east of Pontiac which show extreme flooding.

As efforts to pick people up from their flooded homes continued through the day Wednesday, so did the effort to protect the city's only water treatment plant.

Tim Tuley, operations superintendent for Illinois American's Pontiac District, said 18 crew members from the water company's districts in Champaign, Peoria, Streator, East St. Louis and Belleville were placing sandbags outside the South Locust Street treatment plant Tuesday night, and crew members continued working to keep water out Wednesday.

The additional crews, sand bags and about 15 sump pumps around the plant are keeping the floodwaters away from the plant's electrical equipment, Tuley said.

The effort seemed to be working. During a city briefing held Wednesday night, officials said the plant had no further issues needing to be addressed.

Com Ed spokesman Jeff Hetrick said the utility company has strategically placed three back-up generators in Pontiac. Generators are near the city's waster water treatment plant, the Pontiac Correctional Center and OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center,

Classes for the city's elementary school district have been canceled for today. It had not been determined Wednesday night whether Pontiac Township High School will have classes.

"Areas like the junior high are in water," high school Superintendent Leo Johnson said. "We just want to make sure that we can safely transport students to and from the high school."

The floodwaters that started to rise Monday night left school canceled and many residents needing help evacuating from their homes.

Crews from ComEd and Nicor Gas have been working to cut power and gas service to homes that are flooded, throughout the day.

Livingston Manor nursing home had some water in its basement, but officials said there were no problems. In fact, it offered to accept patients from other facilities if they need to be evacuated. Saint James hospital brought in the regional medical emergency response team from Peoria to supplement its staff.

Heartland Community College's Pontiac campus - which occupies the second floor of Pontiac's city library - was open with minimal staff Thursday, said college spokeswoman Janet Hill-Getz. Spring classes don't begin unti Monday, but this week is a busy time with semester registration, she said. People needing to access Heartland's Pontiac center should call (815) 842-6777.

In Tazewell County, some roads remain closed because of the Mackinaw River flooding. At Illinois 9 in the Deer-Creek/Mackinaw area, the water measured about one-foot depth. At Illinois 9 and Hoffoman, the road is barricaded.

Reporters Greg Cima, Michele Steinbacher and Phyllis Coulter contributed to this story.

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Historic crests

This list shows where the highest level thus far on the Vermilion River in Pontiac during this week's flooding ranks with the five previous highest flood crests. Flood stage in Pontiac is 14 feet. The National Weather Service predicts the river will crest at a record 19 feet at noon today.

Date…Crest (in feet)

Dec. 4, 1982…19.16

Jan. 9, 2008*…18.81

June 3, 1980…18.12

July 10, 1951…17.9

May 14, 1970…17.46

Jan. 14, 2005…17.23

*9:30 p.m. Wednesday

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For help

For emergency situations, call:

- Pontiac Police Department, (815) 844-5148

- Nicor, (888) 642-6748

- Com Ed, (800) 334-7661

- (800) 955-8237 for help in Spanish