Record Rain Ravages
Little Renox Bridge washed out.
‘Cumberland Countians Haven’t Seen Water Like This in Living Memory’
By Greg Wells
CCN–Editor
“We are not going to put a number on the damage that we saw yesterday right now,” said Cumberland County Judge-Executive Luke King, Monday morning at a Special Called Meeting of the Fiscal Court. “To do so would be irresponsible and extremely deceiving, because we would either shoot too high or too low. I can tell you that it is a significant amount of damage. It will be a significant amount of money.”
There is damage to state and county roads, homes, farms and businesses across Cumberland County due to Saturday night and Sunday morning’s rain event.
“I think that we are extremely fortunate that we didn’t have severe injuries or even loss of life that we know of right now,” King said. “I want to commend the road department, our volunteers, our first responders, our private contractors, and every one of you for what you did yesterday.
“You took time away from damage that you had personally to take care of your districts. I appreciate that.
“I recognize that that’s not always recognized by folks in a crisis, but I want it noted in the minutes and I want it for anybody that’s watching this later to know that every single person that’s sitting up here and those sitting out there also responded yesterday and you did what you have said repeatedly you would do.
“You put Cumberland County well ahead of yourself in everything that you did,” King said. “I appreciate that and I know that the people of Cumberland County do also.”
He went on to say that paying down the county’s debt load has put local government in a good position to deal with the emergency. He also said he has declared an emergency, and the governor has declared an emergency, but other pieces will need to fall into place before Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money can be counted on to offset any of the cost of rebuilding.
In the short term, crews are working to clear and repair what they can immediately.
Weeks could pass before some bridges or roads are passable, and months will likely pass before repairs are near completion on many.
Several on the court said that their first priority is making sure everyone can safely get to and from their homes as soon as possible.
The court voted unanimously to place dumpsters at the Courthouse Annex on South Main–Albany Road (Ky-90E) to help with cleanup.
“We cannot fill these dumpsters with rock and debris and any type of limbs and trees,” King warned. “But if your basement was flooded, if your workshop was flooded, if your home was flooded in general, and you have things, that from a health standpoint, you need to get out of your house to make sure that you can breathe the air in the house that you live in—”
In a later release, it was stressed that those dumpsters, already in place, are self-service only and are monitored by cameras. They are not for disposal of limbs or other vegetation, dirt, rock and other such things.
Water-damaged personal property, or other items that cannot be safely left on your property because of mold or other health risks as a result of the flooding, are to be dumped in them. There will not be staff available to assist with loading the dumpsters, as everyone and especially the equipment is vitally needed for road and bridge repairs at present.
The phone number for the county office is 270-864-3444, and it’s staffed during business hours by a number of different individuals.
