HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – With the City of Hopkinsville still recovering from recurring flooding events with 60 inches rain falling so far this year, officials discussed the efficacy of the Hopkinsville Surface and Stormwater Utility’s role in flood mitigation.

During the July 15 Hopkinsville City Council meeting, officials held length discussions with HSSU representatives about their role in preventing and responding to flooding in the city. Residents addressed the council directly during public comments to defend and reprimand the perceived issues with HSSU during the flood in April.

Two former Hopkinsville Mayors, Rich Liebe and Dan Kemp, both spoke about the issue. Liebe stated that since the utility was established 20 years ago, they have had a big impact on the city, although there is still work to be done. Kemp added that the HSSU should not be disbanded, and any issues should be addressed through the board and staff.

Hopkinsville resident Rita Brown also spoke, telling the council that city officials are looking for someone to blame, instead of finding a way to help those who are still recovering. Her granddaughter was directly impacted by the flood, along with their neighbors.

“I have watched her suffer in the last few weeks since her home flooded, which is not in a flood zone,” said Brown. “I’ve watched my great grandchildren’s little hearts be broken because they’ve had to leave their home.”

Public Works response, HSSU’s role

Hopkinsville Public Works Director Mike Perry stated that in the first six months of the year, the city has already experienced about 60 inches of rain. This is about 20 inches over the yearly average for the area. “This year has been an anomaly year,” said Perry. “When you get three historical rain events… our systems can’t take that type of rain.”

He explained that Public Works collaborates closely with HSSU, although they have separate jurisdictions. Perry added that they do not have the staff to take on the responsibilities that HSSU currently has, and overhauling the entire stormwater system would be extremely expensive for the city.

“As far as going through the city and changing all of the infrastructure, you’re talking about billions of dollars,” said Perry. “We can’t control mother nature, but we can look at the systems and try and make it better.”

Steve Bourne with HSSU said some of their responsibilities include maintaining the 11 stormwater basins, mowing over 100 lots, managing the four watershed dams, along with rover flood gauges and log jams. He admitted that the North Drive basin has been neglected for some time due to funding.

“There is a variety of things out there in the community that we need to address, that we need to go after and try to fix,” said Bourne. “But it takes time, and it takes effort.” As a result of flooding, they are leading a local buyout of 15 properties on the North Fork of the Little River, including several on Donna Drive. There are also dozens of buyouts on the South Fork.

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Fake drains, next steps

Amid the discussion, Borne said it would be a physical impossibility to go around and check every system regularly. He also explained that it is up to homeowners to maintain creek beds that are on private property. It was proposed that HSSU should create a more comprehensive maintenance list to make sure all areas of the city are being addressed, while also increasing their transparency and communication with the city and the residents.

This maintenance would also address what is referred to as “fake drains” in Hopkinsville. These are underground areas have sudden stops or dead ends that do not drain. Borne said this issue stems from very old construction that was never built correctly and needs to be replaced. They may be able to deploy cameras to track down these drains and map out where the dead ends are, but this would be a long-term project.

“Just remember, we can do all that we are talking about right now, but if it rains four inches in 30 minutes, there’s nothing we can do to prepare for that,” said Councilmember Travis Martin.

All officials present agreed that prioritizing the North Drive basin, along with pushing forward to find solutions and improve their response to a flood crisis will move them in the right direction. Councilmember Brandi Stallons added that combating these issues could potentially be lifesaving in the future.

No direct action or vote was taken by the council following the discussion.

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