LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville officials are urging the public to prepare ahead of what they believe could be a top-10 flooding event in the city’s history.
“We are expecting this extreme weather event to continue,” Mayor Craig Greenberg said. “This is incredibly serious. We want everyone to be safe.”
Greenberg said no storm-related injuries have been reported so far, after the tornado and rainfall that’s already occurred. But that could change with the flash flooding that’s expected.
A state of emergency was already declared in Louisville Thursday after tornado damage and anticipation of the severe flooding that’s on the way.
“There is going to be very significant flooding, this may be one of the top-10 floods recorded in Louisville if that reaches there,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg reiterated that Louisville is expecting another 4-6 inches of rain over the next 48 hours as the heaviest rain is expected Saturday.
This puts the Ohio River and surrounding area at risk. City officials expect the river to crest Wednesday at 35.5 feet in the upper pool.
That’s in the area of the downtown side of the McAlpine Locks. That’s over 23 feet of what’s normal in the downtown and northeast downtown area.
Barricades have already gone up in several locations. The 3rd Street ramp in downtown will also eventually close by Friday night or Saturday morning, according to Greenberg.
“If you’re driving over the coming days — today, tomorrow, Sunday — and you see water in the roadway, turn around,” Greenberg said.
As barricades go up quickly there won’t be any prior notification to let people know. City officials are stressing to the public to not move or drive around barricades.
Louisville MSD has also asked for residents to delay using your washing machine or dishwasher because the sanitary sewer system has reached its capacity due to heavy rainfall.
President Donald Trump also approved federal disaster assistance for Kentucky to help the state in disaster relief efforts after the week of storms. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency can now coordinate efforts, which will include the ability to mobile resources quickly. The assistance will cover all 120 Kentucky counties, if needed.
Here’s a list of resources that the city has for residents:
- Active alerts and forecasts for the Louisville area provided by the National Weather service: click here.
- Ohio River flood projections from the National Weather Prediction Service: click here.
- A list of road closures: click here.
To view closings and cancellations due to severe weather and flooding this weekend, click here.
