Crittenden County officials are working this morning to dry the basement of the Crittenden County Courthouse, which is home to the property valuation and child support offices and storage space for countless official records and voting machines.Crittenden County Clerk Carolyn Byford and PVA Ronnie Heady (pictured here wading the hallway) say there is damage to records, equipment and computers. The extent is not yet known.
Local insurance agent Joe Yarbrough, who represents the Kentucky Association of Counties All Lines Insurance Fund, has been on site, Judge-Executive Perry Newcom said. The insurance company has contracted an agency from Nashville to come dry the basement and try to salvage records, computers and other items.
"They specialize in this kind of thing and after the big Nashville flood last year, I'm sure they have plenty of experience," Newcom said.
The offices on the upper floors of the courthouse remain open for business today.
There is between 2 and 3 inches of water in the basement. Crittenden County received about 3.4 inches of rainfall yesterday and last night. Newcom thinks the water backed up into the courthouse through a drain in the basement floor.
