NUTWOOD - The fear of the Nutwood Levee being breached is a concern to folks living in the small Jersey County town as well as the people of Hardin. With recent crests predicted to reach at least 40 feet, the likelihood of the levee, which experts said could take maybe a bit more than 39 feet after recent Herculean efforts to sandbag it, breaching is almost imminent.
One Nutwoodian, Andy Baze, is working with several other people in his rural community to save what they can before the waters come. In anticipation of the Nutwood Levee having a catastrophic breach, the people of the town are building a secondary levee - just like they did in 1993.
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Baze said spirits are still high in the community, but without a secondary levee, as many as 25 residents would lose their homes. When that backup levee was built by the town in 1993, however, it did not hold, and many residences were lost because of that.
"My family lost everything in '93," Baze said. "Myself and my parents now live in the town of Nutwood, and we're going to give it the biggest fight we can. We have guys that don't reside here showing up with bulldozers and equipment to make this all possible."
Unfortunately, however, Baze said there is a complete lack of government assistance in any form. He said the effort is entirely volunteer-based and being done as a result of a need by the community. More volunteers are needed, and Baze said the community is desperately in need of rolls of heavy-gauge plastic wrapping. It will be needed to line the walls of the volunteer levee once it is completed. That dangerous crest is predicted to occur by the start of next week.
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