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| Crittenden Press file photo of previous flooding |
With the Ohio River swelling beyond its banks due to snow melt and heavy rains to the east in the Upper Ohio Valley, ferry operator Lonnie Lewis says the ferry landing and Ky. 91 will be covered in water by Friday.
The river was at 36.69 feet at Shawneetown this morning. The ferry is forced to close when the river reaches 42 feet. The Ohio is forecast to crest some time next week at more than 46 feet.
“I’m afraid this will be a long drawn out thing,” Lewis said, citing the large amount of water coming down the Ohio.
“The good news is the forecast for next several days is clear with sunshine,” said Crittenden County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom, who’s watching closely the river stages because of flooding issues it will cause in low-lying areas along the river and its tributaries.
As of Tuesday there were three county roads under water, those in the eastern part of the county where Piney Creek and the Tradewater River are out of their banks.
Tolu, Hebron, Weston and other areas along the Ohio River will soon be affected by rising waters, the county judge said.
“You have a lot of water on the Cumberland River that’s going to back everything up, too,” Newcom said.
The Cumberland and Ohio rivers coverage at Smithland and then the Tennessee River flows into the Ohio at Paducah. Because this area is near the confluences of those rivers, it creates real problem when a whole lot of water is trying move through the basins at one time from all directions. Flooding is certainly going to occur, say local observers.
