OAK GROVE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – An Oak Grove resident is speaking about her experience dealing with the aftermath of the flood that impacted Christian County in April of 2025. A year and a half later, her home is still uninhabitable, and she and her family are looking for a way to move forward.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is how quickly you can lose the life you worked years to build, and how alone you can be once the immediate disaster is over and everyone else gets to go back to their normal lives.” homeowner Savannah Jensen told Christian County Now. The flood was caused by a historic rainfall event where over 14 inches of rain fell in less than a week. Over two dozen businesses in Hopkinsville and Oak Grove were severely damaged along with over 150 homes.
Damage to house during flood
Jensen purchased the house for her and her daughter in 2017 after her husband, Charles Scott Jirtle, was killed in 2010 while serving with the Army in Afghanistan. She bought the house on Lillian Drive in cash, and according to Jensen, her realtor said she did not need flood insurance based on FEMA documentation.
When the flood hit, her home was filled with several feet of floodwater which ended up sitting stagnant in the area for several weeks.
“My basement flooded all the way to the ceiling, and eventually the water reached the first floor,” she said. “There was mold, electrical damage, HVAC damage, flooring damage and damage throughout the house. While I was displaced, the outside AC unit was even stolen.”
At the time of the flood, Christian County Now had spoken to another resident on Lillian Drive whose house filled with contaminated sewer water and also became unlivable. A pump was installed at the front of the neighborhood down the street with millions of gallons of floodwater pulled out.
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FEMA assistance did not cover costs, trying to move back in
After the initial shock of the flood wore off, Jensen learned about past reports that revealed known flooding and drainage issues in the area. Residents were continuously vocal about their frustrations with the city, claiming that officials ignored the flood risk. Most recently, plans to construct the next phase of a neighborhood in Oak Grove were delayed due to a flood risk.
Jensen is now renting a place to live about an hour and a half away as her home continues to sit. Now she is trying to figure out how to tackle upwards of $100,000 of extensive repairs that are needed to move back in. Although she did qualify for individual assistance from FEMA and she is grateful for what she received, Jensen said it was not enough. This has caused both financial and emotional strain as she navigates supporting herself and her daughter.
“Unfortunately, the damage is extensive and that assistance was not enough to make the house livable again. I am now paying approximately $1,600 a month in rent in Lebanon, Tennessee. Financially, this has been devastating,” she said. During this transitional time, she was also fined for code violations on the property, “Somehow, in the middle of all of that, I am also being penalized because the grass grew too high.”
Next steps, speaking up for assistance
Now that time has passed and she feels less overwhelmed, Jensen feels reinvigorated enough to fight to get her house livable. She has recently reached out to veteran’s organizations, disaster organizations, churches and more for assistance as well as creating a GoFundMe.
“As far as what happens next, my personal goal is simple: I want to go home,” she said. “I don’t want somebody to build me a beautiful new house. I don’t want luxury renovations, and I don’t want to be handed something I didn’t work for. I already have a house. I just want to be able to live in it again.”
She has since filed a formal complaint regarding the real-estate transaction, feeling that she was taken advantage of regarding flood insurance since she did not go through a mortgage lender. In the meantime, she is continuing to seek resources and reach out to officials for support included Kentucky Emergency Management and Representative James Comer.
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