UPDATE: Crittenden County Emergency Management Director Greg Rushing has declared an emergency situation at Dycusburg on the Cumberland River. The declaration was made at 9 p.m., in response to a record level of water being released through Barkely Dam at Grand Rivers.
The dam was releasing 300,000 cubic feet of water per second late Monday afternoon, the greatest amount ever released through the dam. It stopped the flow after 6 p.m., to allow the river basin to absorb the high volume down stream. The river had risen three feet below the dam between 11 a.m, and 6 p.m., Monday. Click here to see a flow chart from the dam.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District says that it is operating area dams along the Cumberland River and its tributaries to minimize flooding and reduce lake levels due to heavy rainfall throughout Tennessee and southern Kentucky.
Vicki Martin, regional response manager for Kentucky Emergency Management, was in Dycusburg Monday night monitoring the situation. She said the Corps plans to release another high volume of water on Tuesday so officials will be keeping a close eye on flooding potential along the Cumberland River.
Rushing was preparing to start sandbagging some areas near Dycusburg just before 10 p.m., Monday night. Several homes in the immediate area were in jeopardy of flooding if the water continues to rise overnight. Most residents were staying in their homes, but watching closely the rising river levels.
Officials are advising residents living in low-lying areas along the Cumberland River to voluntarily evacuate until this temporary flooding potential has ended.
Livingston County officials had established a command post and were monitoring the river from the opposite shore near Tiline and Iuka.
