If you talked to government officials in Harrison and Pendleton Counties Wednesday you would have heard a story of “what could have been.” “That’s the tale of two different days.”
That’s Pendleton County Emergency Management Director Mike Moore. Residents in the city of Falmouth were preparing for a major flood Tuesday. Projected at one point to reach 11 feet over flood stage, the Licking River crested at one foot over flood stage. Moore says just over a hundred residents were evacuated as a precaution.
“Falmouth was hit with a serious flood in 97 and that memory is strong in people’s minds. Back then, they didn’t have any warning and people were being evacuated with water up to their knees and people had to be rescued throughout the night,” said Moore.
In that 1997 flood, Moore said five people were lost. The rain event Tuesday did cause some flooding in nearby Cynthiana. Harrison County Judge Alex Barnett said many homes were raised after the flood more than 20 years ago. Barnett noted it appears water stayed out of homes, but some residents were moved out. Still, Barnett said community members will keep an eye to the sky. “Course we got to keep an eye on the weather and the rain. You know up stream, they’re calling for rain almost every day this week, so we’re watching that very closely,” explained Barnett.
There's a chance of rain in the forecast during much of next week.
Weather conditions as well as flooding in these communities may have changed at the time of this reading.
Comments of Pendleton County Emergency Management Director Mike Moore regarding Falmouth. Recorded the morning of May 20th:
Comments of Harrison County Judge Executive Alex Barnett mid-day on May 20th:
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