Ohio Co. issues emergency declaration following flooding

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Ohio County Judge Executive David Johnston has signed an emergency declaration and has contacted FEMA after rainfall from severe storms has flooded the flat landscape.

“I just woke up for the morning, I put my feet on the floor, and I see water coming from underneath the bed. I walked through the living room door, opened my bedroom, and more came into my bedroom from the living room, ” said Tommy English.

English said he woke up to 3 inches of water in his home.

“We got it all night last night, and all morning this morning,” English said. “It never stopped raining.”

County officials are saying several people had to be rescued from the flooding, but all are now safe.

“FEMA has already been called in. So we’re hoping everything will go,” Johnston said. “I signed the emergency declaration very early this morning.”

Now, English is looking for help from county officials to keep the issue from happening again.

“We’ve mentioned this to the city before about them fixing the ditches,” English said. “All they’ve done is maybe dig them out a couple of feet deeper, but it doesn’t help.”

But Johnston says, there’s nothing that can be done.

“This was no fault of any road, roadways, our ditch ways, or anything of that nature, it was just too much rain for us to take care of,” said Johnston.

Despite the emergency declaration, Johnston says at this time, Ohio County citizens have no reason to be concerned.

“Stay out of the water, don’t get out in your car, and don’t try to drive through the backwater. That’s the worst thing you can do. So just wait and it’ll go down in a little while,” Johnston said.

Johnston advises that, should more flooding occur, those in danger should call 911 immediately.

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