CHRISTIAN COUNTY, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Oak Grove residents are still dealing with the devasting aftermath of flooding as water is being pumped from a submerged neighborhood. During the April 22 Christian County Fiscal Court meeting, the ongoing flooding crisis was address, with a focus on efforts in south Christian County.
Randy Graham, director of Christian County Emergency Management shared that water was successfully pumped out of the Windmill Farms neighborhood in Hopkinsville, and residents are now able to easily access their homes. This comes after pumps were installed last week near Secretariat Way, removing over 13 million gallons of water.
Areas in Oak Grove are still facing excessive high water, with pumping starting over two weeks after the flooding event began impacting the area. A week ago, the entire neighborhood off of Man O War Drive was inaccessible, and now the water has visibly receded back to Churchill Drive. However, homes down the road are still submerged and inaccessible, with the majority of the residents in the neighborhood displaced long term.
Instillation for the pump began last week, and it was activated the evening of April 19. The pipe is leading water under Pembroke Oak Grove Road, then feeding uphill over a mile away to nearby farmland. The overflow from the pumping will go into a creek, eventually spilling out into the Red River. Residents in this area are continuing to advocate for the city to make a plan to assist residents and prevent this from occurring again.
|RELATED STORY: Water and sewage still cover areas of Oak Grove, residents demand action against flooding
Waiting on presidential declaration
Several roads in south Christian County aside from neighborhoods are still flooded, with Magistrate JE Pryor pointing out that a truck sank into floodwater near Millers Mill Road earlier this morning. Judge Executive Jerry Gilliam shared that local law enforcement may start writing citations for vehicles driving around barriers. KYTC has shared the following state roads as still being impacted by high water.
- KY 115 Pembroke-Oak Grove Rd at 4-mile points
- KY 117 Herndon-Oak Grove Rd between the 0-1.8-mile points (US 41A to Bell Station Rd)
- KY 117 between the 2.5-3-mile points
- KY 117 between the 4.8-8.2-mile points
- KY 695 between the 3.8-4.4-mile points
While some impacted residents and business have already attempted to move forward by reporting damage to FEMA, Graham said these claims will continue to be denied until a presidential declaration has been signed, which will grant the county permission to pursue funding. He emphasized that it would take some time, and people should file with insurance companies first while they wait for the declaration.
In the meantime, residents in need of additional resources can reach out to emergency management directly at (270) 887-6253. Ongoing support and resources are also available in person at the Oak Grove Community Center on 1705 Thompsonville Lane.
| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Christian County Now app