Harrah's Metropolis Casino scheduled to reopen today

"Thanks to the support of our parent company Caesars Entertainment, Harrah's Metropolis was able to ensure that all employees were paid during the month-long closure," the casino announced in a news release Monday morning.

Harrah's Metropolis Casino, which has about 450 employees, has been closed since Feb. 18. The hotel remains closed at this time but is expected to be open by the weekend, the Southern Illinoisan reports.

Many employees used the time away from work to volunteer their time throughout the community. During the closure, casino employees donated more than 2,500 volunteer service hours to places that include the Metropolis Nursing and Rehab, Salvation Army, Hope Unlimited and River City Mission.

Prior to this most recent closure, Ohio River flooding closed the casino for 17 days in the spring of 2018 and for 39 days during the historic flood of 2011.

Floodwaters do not typically enter the facility located on East Front Street when the water levels rise, but the property becomes inaccessible when the river reaches the fire egresses. The frequently changing forecast over the past month made it difficult to predict when the casino could reopen this month, the company said.

"The support of the community and our loyal patrons was felt with each 'thank you' letter, phone call (and) social media post we received," the casino stated in its news release. Staff and management also thanked everyone who supported the business during its closure.

Doors open to the public at 11 a.m. Tuesday.