– Jody Norwood/Tribune-Courier || Public access remains limited at spots around Kentucky Lake despite dropping water levels.

River Woes

County copes
during area
flooding

By Jody Norwood
Tribune-Courier News Editor
jnorwood@tribunecourier.com

MARSHALL COUNTY – Water is life for western Kentucky’s economy. Local industry requires it, both for manufacturing and transportation. Tourism thrives on providing river and lake access. Marshall County’s agricultural community, likewise, has to weather the good with the bad.

Near-record rainfall for May led to swollen river banks along the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. To prevent flooding along the Ohio River, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was forced to release record amounts of discharge at Barkley Dam, with estimates as high as 300,000 cubic feet per second last week. The flow was reduced to 150,000 cubic feet per second by Thursday night and was expected to be reduced again during the weekend.

Information provided by Western Kentucky University showed Marshall County receiving approximately 4.6 inches of rain during the May 1-3 storm.

Local and state officals have tried to stay on top of the situation.

“We’re keeping an eye on the roads,” said Judge Executive Mike Miller. “Everything we do, we’re putting on our federal forms. If there’s a state of emergency declared, and we feel there will be, we need to be included.”

In addition to roads, Miller said county workers had been concerned with safety and public structures. Both emergency management and the Marshall County Rescue Squad were staying alert of potential hazards throughout the week.

Rain returned to the area Friday and is expected much of this week throughout Kentucky and Tennessee. Currently, the Corps of Engineers is not predicting this to have a signicant impact on areas already effected.

“The current forecast from the National Weather Service has very little rainfall predicted for the Cumberland Basin over the next five days,” said Bob Sneed, Chief of Water Management for the Corps’ Nashville District. “Due to our efforts in restoring storage capacity in Corps lakes, the predicted rainfall amounts will have only minor impacts on our operation plans.”

The Corps are attempting to restore storage capacity along the Cumberland River and at area lakes. Controlled releases at Corps dams will free up space in storage reservoirs to prepare for future rainfall events.

“Water levels in most of our lakes have peaked and are starting to fall,” Sneed said. “The exception is Lake Barkley where levels are rising.”

Corps officals said levels at Lake Barkley should soon decrease.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel arrived in Frankfort Friday for briefings with Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KyEM) officials. Federal, state and local teams will begin assessing damages across the state.

“This is a complicated task, the scope and widespread damage is creating a challenge for us to get to all the impacted counties at once,” said John Heltzel, director of the KyEM. “Let me assure you; if you have not seen these teams in your counties, you will.”

Officials encourage those who have suffered property damage to photograph the damage, save any repair receipts and report damage to the local emergency management director.

Residents can get more information about rising waters by visiting the KyEM website at www.kyem.ky.gov or the USACE at www.lrl.usace.army.mil.