OAK GROVE, Ky. — Christian County residents are still reeling from unprecedented flooding that swept through the area late last week.
From submerged neighborhoods in Oak Grove to a widespread recovery effort in Hopkinsville, the water may be receding, but the damage was done and the road to rebuilding was just beginning.
To navigate the Oak Meadows neighborhood in Oak Grove, people either needed a big truck or some big boots. The water was still at least ankle high throughout this neighborhood Monday, which was low compared to where it was just a few days prior.
Kayla Below had gotten used to wading through the wash at that point. Luckily, her house was spared.
“Where I’m at is not completely flooded, so we’re still a little dry," Below said. "It kind of happened out of nowhere. Started raining; we weren’t really looking for a flood. We woke up, and everything was underwater."
"We’ve never gotten any flooding anywhere near this.”"We’ve never gotten any flooding anywhere near this.”
She said, at its high point, the water was “about up to here on my leg, so a good couple feet.”
Hopkinsville is a 20-minute drive away. If one didn’t know where to look, it might’ve been hard to tell by Monday; the town was almost underwater late last week. The water may have receded, but recovery is still underway.
Downtown Hopkinsville, near the Little River, was particularly hard hit, with streets like Main Street and areas around the courthouse submerged under water. The flooding prompted the closure of numerous roads, including parts of U.S. 41 and I-169, as water overflowed from rivers and creeks, making travel hazardous.
“A lot of people were displaced by the flood waters,” said Mayor JR Knight. “Roughly 150, 160 homes had water in them. Underneath them, in the crawl spaces, or in the house actually.”
He said four official buildings and about 25 businesses were also affected.
Knight said police, fire, public works and all the extra emergency crews brought in had done a tremendous job responding to the worst flooding he has seen there since 1997. He said he measured 12 to 13 inches of rain near downtown.
“Last time we had that kind of heavy rain and that measurable amount of rain, a lot of the streets, ah, it ain’t that bad," he said. "Next thing you know, it’s over your hood, and then you’re stranded.”
Fire Chief and EMS Director Steven Futrell said it was an immediate response that included 20 rescues over three days. They also rescued around 50 pets from a pet lodge that got flooded.
“The biggest thing for us is that we had no significant injuries,” Futrell said. “We may not see this again for another few years, but we know that it’s our responsibility, so we spend a lot of time training.”
Back in Oak Grove, Below said she was going to wait it out and hope things wouldn't get worse before they got better.
“My heart breaks for everyone who has been affected and lost stuff, and houses are damaged," she said. "It’s just not good. Thankfully, we were spared, but watching the neighbors, it just breaks my heart." “My heart breaks for everyone who has been affected and lost stuff, and houses are damaged," she said. "It’s just not good. Thankfully, we were spared, but watching the neighbors, it just breaks my heart."
Hopkinsville is asking people to take photos to document the damage to their homes and belongings.
The city will turn this information over to FEMA in hopes of getting federal dollars back so people can be reimbursed. More information can be found on the city of Hopkinsville website.
