HARDIN – Residents of Calhoun County old enough to remember the Great Flood of 1993 are having flashbacks to that monumental natural disaster as the waters are again encroaching toward their doorsteps.
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A crest of 38.5 feet has been predicted by the National Weather Service (NWS) for Tuesday, but that prediction is based only on the coming 24 hours. As of now, no major precipitation is predicted for that time, but heavy rains are predicted to come before that Tuesday crest, starting on Monday. Deputies from the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office speculated an additional two to three inches of rain – as is predicted – could cause the Illinois River to top the Nutwood Levee.
“They knocked us down from 39 feet to 38.5, but that levee can't take much more than 39 or 39 and a quarter, so I don't know if it will hold if these rains come next week,” Calhoun County Chief Deputy Kyle Jacobs said.
Calhoun County Emergency Services Director Charles “Chuck” Lanczkowski is a bit more optimistic regarding the current state of the Nutwood Levee, adding he had been on it all morning Saturday with as many as 20 convicts working to sandbag the low points of the levee. He said it could hold more than 39 feet, adding he did not expect it to top with next week's coming rains.
Calhoun County does not operate the Nutwood Levee. It is operated by the Nutwood Levee District, which is located in Greene and Jersey Counties. If it does top, however, access to Calhoun County would be majorly restricted, as it would prevent access to Route 16 for as long as four months, as the floodplain located in its shadow is shaped like a large basin.
Jacobs and another of his fellow deputies said when that previously occurred, Hardin residents would have to take back roads from Hardin to Kampsville and take the ferry to Eldred to get to Jerseyville and points south. For many who work in St. Louis or St. Charles, that would add significant time to their commutes. As it stands now, it takes as long as 45 minutes for people to travel from Hardin to Brussels – normally a trip of around 15 minutes.
Not only is this causing a hassle for those needing to leave earlier to get places on time, it is adding a heavy burden of traffic to roads not designed to handle it.
“We have people flying down those back roads,” Jacobs said. “It's a wonder no one has hit each other yet.”
This concern was also echoed by volunteers working to sandbag a house on the south side of town, and Lanczkowski said he encourages people to avoid the area unless they absolutely must travel there. He said people driving on those back roads to gawk at the flooding are making the issues worse.
Assuming the worst case scenario with the Nutwood Levee does indeed occur, Lanczkowski said he has been in contact with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker regarding what would be needed and what to do. He has also been working to ensure the health and safety of Calhoun residents even if Route 16 does become impassible.
“There are three major concerns we have if the levee does top,” he said. “From order to least to most importance, they are: Getting oil and fuel into the county. This comes almost entirely from 18-wheelers, which are not designed to navigate the hills and bluffs that make up the back roads out there. The second concern is the two markets in the town. Those places get fresh food and water from big tractor trailers twice a week now. They are working with suppliers to get smaller trucks more often. The most important thing is medical and emergency situations. We're working with survival flight from Jersey Community Hospital. I'm also an EMT there.”
He said he spoke with Pritzker as recently as Saturday afternoon, saying the Illinois National Guard could mobilize its Chinook chopper to ensure safe transportation in and out of the county.
If the water flows high enough to top the Eldred Levee, it could stop the running of the Kampsville Ferry – which is currently the only ferry service running in the county. If that were to happen (as it did in '93) a simple trip to Jerseyville could take as long as four hours and be 120 miles as residents would have to reach I-72 by way of Pike County.
One homeowner on the south side of town said he moved to Hardin in 2000. Since living there, he said he had not had to sandbag the perimeter of his home. That changed Saturday afternoon as water was already over the road just yards from his house.
A volunteer working to fill sandbags said he worked for the city in 1993. He said he was prepared to again make that trek 120 miles to Jerseyville by the looks of the forecast. Jacobs said residents were already preparing to evacuate with camper trailers going toward Jersey County as well as other nearby locations. Some were even renting rooms in St. Louis. Lanczkowski, a musician, said his trip to St. Louis took much longer than usual Saturday, even with 16 being open, as he lives on the south point of the county.
“I've just stocked up on food today,” said one resident. “If it does break, we're ready to ride it out.”
On top of the helicopters in case of emergency, the fire department also has at least one boat at its disposal. Deputies said the sheriff also would use his personal vessel in case of emergency, and many citizens of Calhoun also have access to boats if such situations warrant it.
As of now, however, it should be noted all these situations are purely speculative based on worst case scenarios. As of now, latest forecasts have determined a crest of 38.5 by Tuesday, but those only consider the next 24 hours when there is no precipitation predicted. Unfortunately next week's rain forecast doesn't just include Monday, but, as of now, continues through the duration of next week. Several inches are possible at this point.
As the situation develops, Lanczkowski said people can get reliable and updated information through the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, which he will continue to update as the situation develops. He said any questions citizens have not answered there can be found by emailing him at Calhoun.ESDA@gmail.com. Deputies said that email is monitored at all times. If the levee does top with coming rains, citizens will be alerted through that Facebook page. Riverbender.com will also continue to update this situations and dispatch reporters to the area if the levee does top.
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