FRANKFORT, Ky. — With the Kentucky River expected to crest at 49.5 feet, Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson said places not normally affected by flooding will be this time around and asked everyone to take the situation seriously.
As rain continued to fall on Sunday, several Frankfort residents near the river evacuated their homes. Among them was Dorothy Hayden.
“The sheriffs came around telling us to evacuate,” Hayden said. “We knew it was time.”
This is the first time she has had to evacuate due to flooding.
“In 30 years that I’ve been here, I’ve never seen it,” Hayden said. “Never did come up that far. “In 30 years that I’ve been here, I’ve never seen it,” Hayden said. “Never did come up that far. Only far it used to come is right there at the gate and it stops.”
Wilkerson said this could be a potentially historic flooding event for the city.
“We’re expected to crest at around 49.5 feet, and that's subject to change,” Wilkerson said. “I'd like everybody to know that, but based on that number, this is a flood we've never seen here in the city of Frankfort.”
City and county officials are urging people to conserve water and heed to evacuation orders.
“We have a water rescue team that's in from, I think, Vermont, and we were just notified that there are three more teams on the way, so we are currently doing water rescues,” said Michael Mueller, Franklin County judge-executive. “A lot of them… too many, actually, and they're going to continue.”
He encouraged people to open their homes to family, friends and neighbors.
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky, announced on X that all state offices in Frankfort will be closed Monday to help with conserving water in the city. He’s urging residents within the 50 foot flooding mark to move to higher ground.
