MUNSTER | When Nancy Sorensen was out sandbagging her Schererville home during the recent flooding, little did she know it was her hair salon in Munster that was in more danger.

Just behind Target, New Waves hair salon, which she's run for the past 27 years with co-owner Brenda Wallen, was quickly being overtaken by what would become 3 feet of floodwater.

It wasn't until five days later that the women were able to get into the salon to pluck destroyed hair dryers and more out of the stench-filled water.

"The only thing that brought a smile to our face was our appointment book" Sorensen says. "The water was just under it."

That offered a glimmer of hope that at least the clients could be salvaged.

But what good would that be without a place to work?

To Sorensen's surprise, a handful of salons offered vacant space for her stylists to work while they struggled back to their feet. It was David James hair salon in Munster that could provide more than she could have hoped for, the opportunity to keep her entire team of five hairdressers, two shampoo techs and a receptionist -- intact.

"We are devastated for all the flood victims in Munster and feel like that was something we could do to help them," said Marie Hickey, co-owner of David James. She said the salon just happened to have four unoccupied stylist stations waiting for new hires.

The arrangement is for the two salons to temporarily merge and be known as David James and New Waves salon. David James' owners were clear that New Waves would not be absorbed into David James and that the businesses, including the employees and clients, will remain separate entities, with New Waves contributing to help cover the expense of running two businesses out of one location.

Joseph Haire, a stylist at David James, says taking in the stylists is simply an extension of the goodwill so many are already doing in their communities to help their neighbors, whether it's by supplying canned goods, cleaning supplies, or in this case, a hydraulic salon chair.

"This is one more way to help the flood victims," he says.

Sorensen is overwhelmingly grateful for the support.

"We might have been doing hair out of our kitchens," says Sorensen, adding they only missed a week of work.