Northwest Indiana Bureau

HIGHLAND, Ind. (CBS) ― Large swaths of land are inundated and roads remain impassable in Northwest Indiana, and it could be days before the area starts to dry out.
 
A levee protecting northwest Indiana broke Monday, allowing flood waters to inundate areas in Munster, Highland and Dyer.

Despite the fact that the rain has stopped, experts say the water levels here will continue to rise, perhaps for another couple of days.

Munster firefighters brought Julie Vrbanich out of her flooded home Monday night.

"I think the worst is over, I don't know," Vrbanich said. "My water's up to the ceiling in the basement."

Some residents already have sandbags in place. But others, just a few blocks away were seeing trucks with sandbags for the first time. Neighbors were pitching in to help each other.

"Thank goodness we have friends, we have high school kids, we've got the cheerleaders, we've got the football team, we've got everybody here helping because they… this is what this community is all about," said flood victim Samantha Hansen.

Some 40 members of the Illiana Hummer Club were also helping out throughout the northwest Indiana flood zone.

"One poor guy's got cancer, I mean we had to get like three people to help carry him out, get all his drugs and stuff. What a mess," said Illiana Hummer Club member Bill Lankow.

Residents who have been gone from their homes for days watched on, wondering what's left.

"Everybody's completely flooded. Basements are flooded. I have no clothes; I left with what I had and we won't be able to go back probably for two days," said flood victim Donnetta Jones.

As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, all over Northwest Indiana, roads were blocked along the path of the Little Calumet River. Calumet Avenue leading into Munster is closed, as is the Borman Expressway, and U.S. 41 has issues all the way to the Chicago Skyway.

In Indiana, six deaths are blamed on the flooding and the high water has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people from Munster, where town officials were asking for volunteers to help with sand-bagging. Parts of Interstate 80/94 remain closed Monday evening.

The area flooded in 2006 and several homes were destroyed. A levee system was under construction then and is almost complete now. Workers are still standing ready with pumps in case the Little Calumet River becomes too much.

But in cities and towns all over northwest Indiana, residents are weary, especially the ones who've lost everything this time.

They emerged from the water grasping leashes and carrying pets in crates. Residents of Lake Station, Indiana used their own boats to float and salvage what they could, including beloved pets.

"There's a lot of water and it's still coming. It's coming," flood victim Tara Bloomingdale said.

Firefighters and police were out all day helping residents wade out of the mess. But many neighbors still feel they've been forgotten when it comes to organized aid.

"It's a lot of heartbreak, because those that have next to nothing now have nothing. There is a lot of sweat and quite a lot of tears out here," said Gibby Leberes.

"We need help. Everybody needs help," Rachel Palmer said.

Lake Station borders Gary, and parts of that city are underwater too. Indiana University is closed due to flooding.

People in Highland are fighting to keep floodwaters out of there town and it's proving to be a difficult battle. Water is up to the bottoms of shopping carts at the Highland Grove Shopping Center at Main Street and Highway 41.

Workers in the area tell CBS 2 Northwest Indiana Bureau Chief Pamela Jones the owners of some of the cars now submerged in the water are unknown.

And the flooding forced firefighters to have the power shut off in most of the strip mall.

To get to it and several other businesses in Highland, you have to push through the flooding. Drivers say the water over some streets is making travel almost impossible.

"I just went out to actually get my check from work and actually meet my boss and every turn I made was a wrong turn. It's blocked off everywhere," said motorist Marc Olena. "Anywhere you go north of Ridge Road is completely underwater. Munster and Highland, I feel so bad for those people."

Town officials said Monday afternoon that the water coming in on the south part of town is actually making its way from surrounding communities like Schererville and Dyer.

In Highland, town officials say they haven't had to evacuate residents. They worked hard to sandbag any areas along their barrier wall that have been leaking.

Lake County officials declared a state of emergency Monday morning. The next step will be to seek state and federal assistance to help clean up and repair neighborhoods hit by the floods, including Hammond, Munster, Schererville, Merrillville and other areas.

Residents of Dyer and Schererville also evacuated their homes as nearby Hart Ditch rose 12 to 15 feet above its normal levels. The Times of Northwest Indiana reported residents were forced to leave homes in the upscale Briar Ridge neighborhood.

On Calumet Avenue just south of the Borman (I-80/94), floodwater bubbled up out of the street. Patients had to evacuate the Munster Med-Inn a nursing and extended care facility, but employees of the nursing home wouldn't let the water keep them away from work.

Employees boarded Indiana State Police boats to get to the facility. They were worried about the nursing home residents inside.

"My concern is, are they eating, is they OK; their machines? Because some of them are life support..." said Munster Med-Inn employee Arlee Williams.

Patients were removed and taken to other facilities. The employees were eager to clean up.

"The basement where our laundry area is – that's the water – and ground floor, where a lot of offices are," said Munster Med-Inn employee Jocye Harness.

At St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, parishioners sensed a calling.

"A few of us were working down there to reroute a sump pump, and then we were also mopping up all the water in the basement," said Dan Bandura of the church.

They worked all night to keep the Eastern European church dry, but they could not save the priest's house. Antique furniture, Russian collectibles, and sacred books were soaked and floating around the basement.

"The home across the street has about 3 feet of water in the basement," Bandura said. "Water is coming out of the side of the house."

The church has not had a flood in its 46-year history.

Elsewhere on Calumet Avenue, a giant spray of water that resembled a fountain was dousing the brush. It was a result of big hose lines that were being fed from Calumet Avenue and sent into the Little Calumet River.

On Sunday, an entire neighborhood was evacuated. Several blocks of north Munster were underwater Monday morning – affecting both businesses and houses – and residents sought shelter at a social center and a high school when they were evacuated.  Map of the evacuation area.

Some workers started sandbagging in the area, and residents ran out to help.

"We don't want it overflowing into our house, so we looked out the back window and we saw they were over here, we said, 'Let's go over there and help them,'" said Ricky Jefferson.

On Calumet Avenue, the water spraying from the pumps was so high it was touching the bottom of the bridge over the Little Calumet River.

Interstate 80/94 is flooded in both directions between Cline and Calumet avenues in Northwest Indiana. At noon, only one lane on I-80/94 was open.

CBS 2's Joanie Lum, Mike Parker and Northwest Indiana Bureau Chief Pamela Jones contributed to this report.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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