Major flooding wreaks havoc in Louisville Kentucky

Extreme weather and torrential rains have caused extreme flooding in the Louisville area of Kentucky, flooding roads, homes and businesses and there’s no sign of it subsiding just yet.

The official government site for Louisville area, LouisvilleKY.gov says:

“Tuesday’s heavy rain was a record, according to Metropolitan Sewer District Director Bud Schardein. As much as 6 inches of rain fell in an hour and 15 minutes. “When I talk about the most rain in this community in a one hour period, we’ve set it today,” Schardein said at a morning news conference with Major Jerry Abramson and other city officials. “This is not a drainage issue, this is a flooding issue,” Schardein said. “What we will focus on is keeping our system at full capacity so we can move as much water as we possibly can,” Schardein said.”

In flood situations such as this, all residents should take certain precautions to protect their own safety and the safety of others. At the site linked to above you’ll find the following suggestions:

Safety Precautions for High Water

* Stay indoors and stay off the roads if at all possible.

* If you are outdoors and stranded seek high ground.

* Just a few inches of water can flood or sweep away a vehicle.

* Do not go into basements if there is water in them.

* If you are already out driving, do not go through intersections with a high water.

* If you are trapped at an intersection with high water, get out of the vehicle and climb onto the vehicle’s roof; don’t attempt to swim to higher ground.

* In basements: Do not handle electrical appliances; light switches, circuit breakers, wires, etc.

If you are in the area of Louisville affected by the flooding and need assistance, find a phone and call the Police or American Red Cross at 589-4450.