2009 Kentuckiana Flash Flood
Encyclopedia
On August 4 at 9:25 am EST a major thunderstorm producing large hail and winds in excess of 60 mph (96.6 km/h) advanced at the leading edge of a cold front moving across the American Midwest, causing a flash flood that struck Louisville
and portions of the surrounding Kentuckiana
region. The National Weather Service
estimated that between three and six inches of rain fell(14–24 cm) across the city in less than one hour, breaking all previous one-hour rainfall records in the area. Most of the downtown area was underwater, with the deluge reaching 4 feet (1.2 m) deep in places. The flood was the third major disaster to strike the region in less than one year.
Early damage estimates were in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The University of Louisville
and the Louisville Public Library's main branch each sustained millions of dollars in damage. On August 12, Governor of Kentucky
Steve Beshear
requested the federal government declare all of Jefferson County, Kentucky
a major disaster area.
, it continued to strengthen as a torrential downpour inundated the area. Within a one hour period more than six inches (17 cm) of rain fell on parts of the region, breaking all previous rainfall records for a one hour period. By the end of the day, more rain fell than is normal for the entire month of August. Downtown Louisville, New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Clarksville were particularly hard hit with water depth surpassing four feet in some areas. Creeks and streams quickly flooded many neighborhoods, and flash floods rendered numerous streets and areas impassable. Severe lightning and wind that accompanied the storm led to more widespread damage.
Rain continued throughout the day, letting up at around 1 pm EST. The ground had already been saturated from rains in the preceding days causing water levels to drop slower than normal. By 3 pm EST a light rain resumed, but most of the flood waters had receded in the higher elevations of the city. Deep pools of standing water remained in isolated areas of the city until August 5.
was closed and flights were diverted to Lexington, Kentucky
until 1 pm EST. Northbound Northwest Airlines
flight 2287, traveling from Knoxville to Minneapolis, passed through the storm over Louisville and experienced severe turbulence, injuring two passengers and forcing the plane make an emergency landing at Lexington. The underground levels of all the city parking garages were completely underwater, destroying hundreds of automobiles. TARC
, the city's public transportation system, was paralyzed with most buses abandoning their routes.
Partly due to debris washing onto the roadways, numerous automobile accidents, and people abandoning their vehicles because of rising waters, caused I-71, I-64, I-65, and part of The Watterson Expressway (I-264) and The Gene Snyder Freeway (I-265) were shut down. Surrounding cities of New Albany
, Jeffersonville
, and Clarksville
, Indiana
were also affected. In New Albany, several parked cars were washed into the Ohio River
. Additionally, most city streets were rendered impassable and several other important roadways were closed for hours. Across both Indiana and Kentucky, the massive amount of water entering the cities' underground viaducts caused a pressure build-up, blowing off a number of man-hole covers, which created dangerous road hazards.
and onto the higher levels of buildings. Police and city officials considered ordering an evacuation of the entire downtown area as the city declared a flood emergency, but ordered people to remain in their homes and the highest point possible. Police and emergency responders began rescuing people trapped in cars and homes. Reports were made of people and bodies in the floodwaters during the deluge, but no deaths or injuries were confirmed. Police and emergencies responders from around the region were called in to assist in the relief efforts.
Governor of Kentucky
Steve Beshear
dispatched two fast water boats to assist in water rescues. By 3 pm EST, Governor of Indiana
Mitch Daniels
sent two companies of the Indiana National Guard
to assist with cleanup among the communities on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. Over two-hundred people were rescued from their cars during the course of the day, with about fifty people being rescued from their homes. Most people were able to escape rising waters to higher ground without emergency help. Assistance was also provided to the downtown area to help tens-of-thousands of people in leaving.
in Louisville was struck by lightning at about 9:20 am EST, halting all operations at the location. The local emergency broadcast tower was also hit, briefly stopping all emergency communication in the city. The WDRB
television news studio had water rise into the building during its newscast, prompting a makeshift water barrier to be erected during the broadcast. At about 10:40 am EST, the National Weather Service extended the Flood Warning for city until 1 pm EST and a Thunderstorm Warning until 4 pm EST due to new and heavy bands of thunderstorms entering the area. Lightning stuck an apartment complex in the Hurstborne neighborhood, starting a fire that consumed most of the sixteen unit building. A second apartment in the west-end of Louisville was struck by lightning and destroyed by the fire caused by the strike.
The University of Louisville, which was closed and evacuated at about 10:45 am EST because of rising water on the campus, was among the worst hit. The university sustained over $15 million in damages with five campus buildings sustaining significant flood damage and at least four others sustaining minor damage.
The main branch of the Louisville Public Library was under three feet (90 cm) of water destroying tens of thousands of books, including the newly purchase books and donations being sorted in the basement, and destroying dozens of computers; in total causing over $1 million in damage. Many people were stuck in buildings for hours because of high water in surrounding areas. The main branch sustained just over $5 million in damage and was closed for a month of repairs, outlying branches also sustained damage but to a lesser extent.
Numerous other buildings went underwater and had to be evacuated including the Cancer Society, Churchill Downs
and the horse barns were under three feet (90 cm) of water at varying points. The trackside barns remained above the water level and 35 horses were moved there. Water rose so high on the south side of Louisville that most cars parked on the street were completely submerged.
At least 20,000 LG&E customers had power service disrupted in Kentucky. Most LG&E power terminals were underground and at least a dozen were flooded, including the terminal powering their headquarters. Four thousand Duke Energy
customer lost power in southern Indiana. Norton Hospital was closed and patients evacuated to upper levels. Three local animal shelters were flooded killing at least nine animals.
Hundreds of homes received major water damage in both Indiana and Kentucky including the U.S. Census Bureau building. Most of downtown New Albany was under two to three feet (60–90 cm) of water. Thousands of cars were destroyed around the city, with early damage estimates in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
During the first half of August damages were still being calculated. To get assistance for damaged households, Governor Bershear requested Jefferson County be declared a major disaster area by the federal government on August 12.
, and later on the evening newscasts of the major networks.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and portions of the surrounding Kentuckiana
Kentuckiana
Kentuckiana is a name that is often used to refer to metropolitan areas with counties in both Indiana and Kentucky.* Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area, the area most commonly referred to as Kentuckiana...
region. The National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
estimated that between three and six inches of rain fell(14–24 cm) across the city in less than one hour, breaking all previous one-hour rainfall records in the area. Most of the downtown area was underwater, with the deluge reaching 4 feet (1.2 m) deep in places. The flood was the third major disaster to strike the region in less than one year.
Early damage estimates were in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
and the Louisville Public Library's main branch each sustained millions of dollars in damage. On August 12, Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Steve Beshear
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
requested the federal government declare all of Jefferson County, Kentucky
Jefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
a major disaster area.
Storm
A slow moving cluster of thunderstorms descended from central Indiana into south-central Indiana and north-central Kentucky. As it entered the region at the head of a cold front, the storm strengthened significantly and began producing hail, strong winds, and heavy rain. As the storm moved into the Louisville Metropolitan AreaLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, it continued to strengthen as a torrential downpour inundated the area. Within a one hour period more than six inches (17 cm) of rain fell on parts of the region, breaking all previous rainfall records for a one hour period. By the end of the day, more rain fell than is normal for the entire month of August. Downtown Louisville, New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Clarksville were particularly hard hit with water depth surpassing four feet in some areas. Creeks and streams quickly flooded many neighborhoods, and flash floods rendered numerous streets and areas impassable. Severe lightning and wind that accompanied the storm led to more widespread damage.
Rain continued throughout the day, letting up at around 1 pm EST. The ground had already been saturated from rains in the preceding days causing water levels to drop slower than normal. By 3 pm EST a light rain resumed, but most of the flood waters had receded in the higher elevations of the city. Deep pools of standing water remained in isolated areas of the city until August 5.
Travel impact
The Louisville International AirportLouisville International Airport
Louisville International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport centrally located in the city of Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA. The airport covers 1,200 acres and has three runways. Its IATA airport code SDF is based on the airport's former name, Standiford Field...
was closed and flights were diverted to Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
until 1 pm EST. Northbound Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
flight 2287, traveling from Knoxville to Minneapolis, passed through the storm over Louisville and experienced severe turbulence, injuring two passengers and forcing the plane make an emergency landing at Lexington. The underground levels of all the city parking garages were completely underwater, destroying hundreds of automobiles. TARC
Transit Authority of River City
The Transit Authority of River City is the major public transportation provider for the Louisville, Kentucky, United States metro area, which includes parts of Southern Indiana. This includes the Kentucky suburbs of Oldham County, Bullitt County, Clark County, and Floyd County in southern Indiana...
, the city's public transportation system, was paralyzed with most buses abandoning their routes.
Partly due to debris washing onto the roadways, numerous automobile accidents, and people abandoning their vehicles because of rising waters, caused I-71, I-64, I-65, and part of The Watterson Expressway (I-264) and The Gene Snyder Freeway (I-265) were shut down. Surrounding cities of New Albany
New Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of...
, Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...
, and Clarksville
Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River as a part of the Louisville Metropolitan area. The population was 21,724 at the 2010 census. The town, once a home site to George Rogers Clark, was founded in 1783 and is the oldest American town in the Northwest...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
were also affected. In New Albany, several parked cars were washed into the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. Additionally, most city streets were rendered impassable and several other important roadways were closed for hours. Across both Indiana and Kentucky, the massive amount of water entering the cities' underground viaducts caused a pressure build-up, blowing off a number of man-hole covers, which created dangerous road hazards.
Emergency response
As of 10 am, additional rain up to a total of 10 inches (25.4 cm) was predicted and many downtown areas began to voluntarily evacuate away from the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and onto the higher levels of buildings. Police and city officials considered ordering an evacuation of the entire downtown area as the city declared a flood emergency, but ordered people to remain in their homes and the highest point possible. Police and emergency responders began rescuing people trapped in cars and homes. Reports were made of people and bodies in the floodwaters during the deluge, but no deaths or injuries were confirmed. Police and emergencies responders from around the region were called in to assist in the relief efforts.
Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Steve Beshear
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
dispatched two fast water boats to assist in water rescues. By 3 pm EST, Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
Mitch Daniels
Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...
sent two companies of the Indiana National Guard
Indiana National Guard
The Indiana National Guard is the armed force of the state of Indiana. It consists of the Indiana Army National Guard and the Indiana Air National Guard, and is part of the larger Army National Guard and the Air National Guard...
to assist with cleanup among the communities on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. Over two-hundred people were rescued from their cars during the course of the day, with about fifty people being rescued from their homes. Most people were able to escape rising waters to higher ground without emergency help. Assistance was also provided to the downtown area to help tens-of-thousands of people in leaving.
Damage
The National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
in Louisville was struck by lightning at about 9:20 am EST, halting all operations at the location. The local emergency broadcast tower was also hit, briefly stopping all emergency communication in the city. The WDRB
WDRB
WDRB is a television station in Louisville, Kentucky, broadcasting locally on channel 41 as a Fox affiliate. Owned by Block Communications, the station's transmitter is located in Floyds Knobs, Indiana alongside sister-station WMYO...
television news studio had water rise into the building during its newscast, prompting a makeshift water barrier to be erected during the broadcast. At about 10:40 am EST, the National Weather Service extended the Flood Warning for city until 1 pm EST and a Thunderstorm Warning until 4 pm EST due to new and heavy bands of thunderstorms entering the area. Lightning stuck an apartment complex in the Hurstborne neighborhood, starting a fire that consumed most of the sixteen unit building. A second apartment in the west-end of Louisville was struck by lightning and destroyed by the fire caused by the strike.
The University of Louisville, which was closed and evacuated at about 10:45 am EST because of rising water on the campus, was among the worst hit. The university sustained over $15 million in damages with five campus buildings sustaining significant flood damage and at least four others sustaining minor damage.
The main branch of the Louisville Public Library was under three feet (90 cm) of water destroying tens of thousands of books, including the newly purchase books and donations being sorted in the basement, and destroying dozens of computers; in total causing over $1 million in damage. Many people were stuck in buildings for hours because of high water in surrounding areas. The main branch sustained just over $5 million in damage and was closed for a month of repairs, outlying branches also sustained damage but to a lesser extent.
Numerous other buildings went underwater and had to be evacuated including the Cancer Society, Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
and the horse barns were under three feet (90 cm) of water at varying points. The trackside barns remained above the water level and 35 horses were moved there. Water rose so high on the south side of Louisville that most cars parked on the street were completely submerged.
At least 20,000 LG&E customers had power service disrupted in Kentucky. Most LG&E power terminals were underground and at least a dozen were flooded, including the terminal powering their headquarters. Four thousand Duke Energy
Duke Energy
Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...
customer lost power in southern Indiana. Norton Hospital was closed and patients evacuated to upper levels. Three local animal shelters were flooded killing at least nine animals.
Hundreds of homes received major water damage in both Indiana and Kentucky including the U.S. Census Bureau building. Most of downtown New Albany was under two to three feet (60–90 cm) of water. Thousands of cars were destroyed around the city, with early damage estimates in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
During the first half of August damages were still being calculated. To get assistance for damaged households, Governor Bershear requested Jefferson County be declared a major disaster area by the federal government on August 12.
News coverage
The storm and flood received uninterrupted local radio and television coverage beginning around 9:15 am and continued into the afternoon hours. About 1:15 pm EST the flood began to be reported on the national news networks. First on CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, and later on the evening newscasts of the major networks.
External links
- August 2009 Flood Collection - A selection of 210 digital images and 3 digital videos of the August 4, 2009 flood, documented and donated by community members to the University of Louisville (Louisville, Ky.)