One of the areas in Kentucky hit the hardest by April's severe weather is McLean County. This month’s flooding left an estimated 50% of the county under water. The small farming town in western Kentucky saw the Green River rise to levels not seen in 75 years.
A curfew remains in place as residents are displaced from their homes and staying in shelters. Some 80 roads are still closed and schools have canceled classes indefinitely.
Emergency Management Director Terry Dossett says he’s been taking upwards of 100 phone calls a day since April's severe weather dropped 8-15 inches of rain on McLean Co. On Wednesday, he took calls from the Fire and Rescue Training facility in Calhoun.
“All the oil tanks and everything’s been taken care of, just to let you know and update you real quick," Dossett told the caller. "The environmental guys came in Monday. Some farmer owns that diesel tank that’s floating around and they didn’t seem too worried about.”
The Green River rose to 36 feet, about 13 feet above flood stage. It’s the worst flooding in McLean Co. since 1950. Right now, the most immediate needs are medication and food. The National Guard is using boats to deliver those supplies to residents who chose not to evacuate their homes, primarily in the Rumsey community.
The water is slowly receding and the county is beginning the cleanup process. So far, there are no damage estimates because many of the structures remain under water, but Dossett said FEMA surveyed the area this week.
According to Dossett, FEMA believes the county has at least 400 homes that have been damaged by the high waters. "They’re talking about how we need to plan for FEMA trailers and that could be up to six months to get people’s houses back," he added.
Blessed to have gotten out safe
One of those homes belongs to Robert Brooks, who lives in the Rumsey community. Brooks, his wife, and two children were taken by boat to a Red Cross shelter at Calhoun Baptist Church.
“Last time I checked, I had about a foot of water in my house. My van is there currently submerged in water," explained Brooks. "But I’ve just got to be blessed with what I do have. I have my family and no one got hurt. We got out safe.”
Thankfully, no lives were lost to the flooding. In fact, the county’s population grew by one. Delaney Nipper, 27, was staying at the shelter in Calhoun when she went into labor Sunday night.
“We were here for three days at that time," said Nipper. "I felt the contractions and I looked at her dad and said, 'I think we’re gonna be going to the hospital today.' We went to the hospital and had her three hours later.”
On Wednesday, she stood outside the shelter holding three-day-old Avery. Everything Nipper had bought for her newborn was destroyed by flooding at their home near the Green River.
“A friend of ours took her dad over on a boat. He went in to see what we could salvage out of the house. Our refrigerator was turned over, floating," Nipper explained. "We’re planning to basically just rebuild the whole house.”
Brenda Daugherty is staying in a travel trailer behind Livermore City Hall which is also doubling as a Red Cross shelter. She lives just down the road in an RV park. It’s a low-lying area, and she and her neighbors had to relocate their homes to a parking lot behind City Hall.
“I’m doing the best I can," Daugherty said. "I’m 74 and I just take it as it comes.”
Daugherty knows a lot about persevering. She lost her mobile home to flooding in 1997, then her next home to a fire a year later.
Her RV has some water damage but it’s livable. She goes to the shelter to eat, shower, and do laundry. For now, this parking lot is home.
“Once the water goes down, the RV park will have to be cleaned up and the ground settled before we can get back in it, so I might have another month here," Daugherty guessed.
Days of relentless rainfall swelled Kentucky rivers to near record levels, submerging neighborhoods and threatening the famed Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort. Seven Kentuckians died in the severe weather.
Ahead of Easter, hoping for the resurrection of a community
On Apr. 11, Gov. Andy Beshear requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Donald Trump. The state is waiting to hear if it has been approved.
In the request, Beshear asked for Individual Assistance for 13 counties and Public Assistance and Direct Federal Assistance for 33 counties.
Amid the devastation, Tori Hill is working to bring a bit of normalcy to the local children of McLean County. She’s been collecting donations and making Easter baskets. She owns a tanning salon in the town of Island that’s full of colorful baskets wrapped in cellophane.
“We’ve got a bunch of candy, some eggs in there," she pointed out. "I even wrote little notes in there from the Easter Bunny to make the kids feel happy, like they’re not forgotten.”
Her home is safe. As Hill clutched her one-year-old son, she said she was reminded of her blessings ahead of Easter Sunday.
”We’re gonna help out as many kids as we can, aren’t we?", she said.
As Christians celebrate the Biblical resurrection on Sunday, McLean County is working on its own resurrection of sorts.
“I think God’s got this," flood survivor Daugherty said.
