HARDIN, Illinois — When the Illinois River breached the Nutwood Levee in Calhoun County this week, it nearly cut off the town of Hardin from the rest of the world.
Floodwaters are now blocking the main route out of town, and people who live there fear that could be the case for months.
"It's gonna get a lot worse before it gets better here,” Kim Baalman said.
Baalman has owned the Hardin Drive-in for 30 years. She’s staying at the restaurant 24/7, even though it’s closed during the flood, to make sure her water pumps are working and her sandbag walls are holding.
With the main road closed, even going grocery shopping is an hours-long journey on the water or down winding country roads.
“We’re living on sandwiches, basically,” Baalman said.
The Red Cross made the trip to Hardin Thursday to pass out food. 5 On Your Side met Michelle Krysl in line.
"My husband works for Panera Bread at the headquarters in Kirkwood," she said. "If he were to go to work now it would take him about six hours each way."
His bosses are letting him work from home.
“He said, ‘I’ll see you in 3 months,’” Krysl said.
They think it could be that long before the road opens up again, because that’s what happened during the 1993 flood.
"Are your kids going to be safe? What's going to happen if there's an emergency? You know, it's a lot of worry,” Shawna Eilerman said.
The Calhoun County sheriff told 5 On Your Side there is a place for helicopters to land if there’s an emergency and deputies escort gas tankers the long way to make sure the gas station in town has supply.
It may be a challenge, but Baalman says they will be OK.
“Everybody helps everybody. And, you know, we just stick it out together. That’s what we do – make the best of a bad situation,” she said.
More flooding coverage:
- Gateway Arch tram ride closed due to flooding
- ‘They need somebody’: Restaurant offers free food to Lincoln County flood victims
- 9-year-old girl raising money for flood victims with lemonade stand
- River Des Peres is leaking onto Carondelet in south St. Louis
- Venue change for Saint Louis FC-Chicago Fire U.S. Open Cup match
- Red Cross shelters providing shelter to residents displaced by flooding