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HARDIN - Volunteers are needed in large capacity in Hardin to help prepare the area for upcoming projected flood levels, said officials Wednesday morning.
Illinois River levels are presently at 37.5 feet and projected to reach 40.4 feet as of Tuesday, June 4. The all-time record for river level is 42.4 in 1993.
Calhoun Sheriff William Heffington said the houses have become one of their biggest concerns with the 40-feet prediction in Hardin.
“We need sandbaggers to help with a lot of the houses in the Village of Hardin,” he said. “If it goes to 40 feet like they say it will it could shutoff Calhoun, Jersey and Greene and everything like 1993. We have to go all the way up through the back roads through Pike County to get in and out. In 1993, it took people three hours to get to Alton when they normally could make it in 50 minutes to an hour.”
Mother Nature has many of the people in the Hardin area weary at the moment, Heffington said.
“We can get through it,” Sheriff Heffington said. “Everybody pulls together in times like this, but it is a critical situation. If the Kampsville Ferry shuts down, that is another vein into the county. Our only alternative then is to go north to Pike County with any medical concerns. We have access to helicopters, though. It is a slow drive on the backroads for medical help. I have told people don’t get in a hurry to go to point A to point B. We need to think positive and keep everybody safe.”
Jan Fanning placed this call out on Facebook:
“We had about 50 volunteers yesterday in Hardin and they did great work, but this is a county of over 5,000. We have a list of over 15 homes and businesses just in Hardin that need help. With just these 50 volunteers, Hardin will not be sandbagged before the weekend. Even if it's just an hour, we need your help.”
The volunteer check-in station is behind the firehouse in Hardin.
"Report there and sign in and then you will be sent to a specific location," Fanning said. "We are doing our best to organize this. Someone will be around to check on residents and see what the needs are. There will be someone out today shooting water levels so you know how high and where your sandbag levee needs to be. Please make sure that you sign in just in case we need this info for FEMA. We need to know about each and every volunteer, boat, side by side, trailer, etc."
Hardin businesses that need help today moving things out:
Drive In
Riverdock
Kinders
Subway
Sandbagging is needed at the following:
Hardin: behind the firehouse. Just keep making bags until those huge piles of sand are gone.
Kampsville: Center for American Archaeology and Tim and Jennifer Roth's house.
Nutwood: Residents in Nutwood need help trying to save their houses. Sandbagging at Powers Road is tomorrow. Boats will be needed tomorrow.
Chris Rhodes also contributed to this story.
