Time: 04-25-2011 20:37
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A4 | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 | THE COURIER-JOURNAL
Coping with
rising waters
What’s being done – and what
you can do – as Ohio River floods
KEEPING
HOME DRY
Here are a few tips to
keep water out of basements
or reduce flooding in homes
because of heavy rain,
according to Dave Downs,
inside sales manager for
Plumbers Supply Co. in
downtown Louisville.
Make sure gutters and
downspouts are clean to help
carry water away from your
house.
Make sure sump pumps
are operating properly. If a
sump pump is old, consider
replacing it. Downs said most
average sump pumps cost
$125 to $130 and can be
found at most plumbing or
hardware stores.
Think about having a
battery-powered or water-
powered back-up system for
sump pumps.
Check sewer grates and
drains near homes to make
sure they are clear of debris.
INSURANCE
QUESTIONS
If you think a flooded
basement will be covered
under your homeowner’s
insurance, think again.
“People think everything
is covered in a homeowner’s
policy and nothing could be
further from the truth,” said
Gerry Clements, an agent
with French-Kiesler-O’Donnell
Insurance in Jeffersontown.
Flood insurance is an
entirely separate policy from
regular homeowner’s insur-
ance and usually purchased
only by homeowners who are
required to have it. There is
usually a 30-day waiting
period.
What about sewer and
drain back-ups?
When water comes up
through a drain or toilet, it
may be covered by your
standard homeowner’s policy
or additional riders.
Damage claims
Call your agent to
arrange for an adjuster to
visit and certify the losses.
Provide the agent with phone
numbers and an email ad-
dress where you can be
reached, even at odd hours.
Take photos of dam-
aged property, especially
property that you will have to
throw away.
Make a list of dam-
aged property and its esti-
mated value. If available,
include receipts.
Car damage
Auto damage will be
covered if you have compre-
hensive coverage on your
auto policy.
Sources: FEMA, State
Farm Kentucky
ON THE WEB: To see more coverage of the flooding, including stories, photos and videos, go to www.courier-journal.com.
Businesses near river face challenges
By Jere Downs
jdowns@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Kevin Gibson, the market-
ing director for Galen College
of Nursing, took the stairs to
his fourth-floor office on
Zorn Avenue on Monday
after floodwaters knocked
out elevator service.
“We are getting our exer-
cise. It is kind of ugly at the
moment,” Gibson said of the
Ohio River, which was cover-
ing half the parking lot at the
950-student school at the in-
tersection with River Road.
“The water is hitting the front
User: mmatherly
Floodplains and flooding
in Jefferson County
Streams and rivers
Floodplains (subject to flooding)
Area outside floodplains
Approximate area of 1937 flood
Ohio River floodwall
Floodwall
pumping stations
Source: LOJIC and
Army Corps of Engineers
264
The Courier-Journal
841
EMERGENCY
NUMBERS
LOUISVILLE
Shelter, disaster assist-
ance
American Red Cross: 589-
4450
Flooding
Metropolitan Sewer District:
587-0603; or 311 after hours
Electricity, gas
Louisville Gas & Electric:
589-1444 (electric); 589-5511
(gas)
Phone, television, Internet
service
AT&T: (800) 288-2020
Insight: (502) 357-4400
Police, fire and EMS
911
Lost pets
Metro Animal Services: 363-
6609
INDIANA
Shelter, disaster assist-
ance
American Red Cross: Clark
County Chapter, (812) 283-8416;
Floyd, Harrison, Crawford: (812)
951-2288. The Clark County
Chapter has set up a shelter at
1805 E. Eighth St. in Jefferson-
ville.
Electricity
Duke Energy: (800) 343-3525
Clark REMC: (866) 480-7362
Harrison REMC: (812) 951-2323;
in Corydon, (812) 738-4115
Gas
Vectren: (800) 227-1376
Phone, television, Internet
service
AT&T: (800) 246-8464
Insight: (502) 357-4400
Police, fire and EMS
911
Lost pets
Floyd County: (812) 948-5355
Clark County: (812) 282-0071
Harrison County: (812) 738-8163
steps of the building. ... I don’t
know how much longer we
will be open.”
Across River Road, the
nonprofit Louisville Visual
Art Association, based inside
the Water Tower, had already
closed by Monday morning.
Closer to downtown, the
Heuser Clinic closed Monday
afternoon despite hopes that
fitness classes could continue
to take place.
“We are out of business
until the river decides to go
back down. Phooey,” co-own-
er Peggy Heuser said of the
inconvenience to the 75 to 100
people who frequent the gym
PubDate: 04-26-2011 Zone: KY Edition: 1 Page Name: A 4
A CLOSER LOOK | FLOODING |
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64
65
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DERBY FESTIVAL
ADJUSTS
The rain is forcing Kentucky
Derby Festival officials to make
some adjustments in events:
The festival relocated the
preliminary rounds of the Fifth
Third Bank Derby Festival
$1 Million Hole-In-One Golf Contest
from the Zorn Avenue Water
Tower to the Seneca Park Golf
Course.
Vendors and other facilities
at the Chow Wagon and Kroger’s
Fest-a-Ville will move closer to
Witherspoon Street.
The finish line for Sat-
urday’s miniMarathon and Mara-
thon will remain at Preston and
Witherspoon streets. “The water
isn’t supposed to get that high” to
affect the intersection, said festival
spokeswoman Aimee Boyd.
The Balloon Glimmer is still
is slated for Fest-a-Ville on the
waterfront at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Great Steamboat Race,
scheduled for May 4, is pending
decisions by the Coast Guard and
the captains of the Belle of Louis-
ville and the Belle of Cincinnati.
The river level must be low
enough to allow clearance for the
boats to pass under the Clark
Memorial Bridge.
SHELTERS
The American Red Cross service
centers for Hardin/LaRue counties
and Bullitt/Spencer counties have
opened shelters to help residents
dealing with flooding.
One shelter is at the Colvin
Community Center, 230 Freedom
Way, in Radcliff and the other is at
the agency’s Bullitt/Spencer service
center, 214 Frank E. Simon Ave., in
Shepherdsville.
For information on the Radcliff
location, call (502) 523-1866.
Information on the Shepherdsville
shelter is available at (502)
955-6259.
daily. While the building is
safe on River Road, access
roads are blocked by flooding,
she said. Additional Galen
classrooms next to the Heus-
er Clinic had already been
shut down, Gibson added.
Buckhead’s Mountain Grill
and Rocky’s Sub Pub in Jeffer-
sonville, Ind., will remain
open, spokeswoman Kelly
Leonardo said. Phone calls
have increased, she added,
but business remains con-
stant.
“We feel confident we will
be fine,” Leonardo said. “Peo-
ple assume we are closed be-
cause others are.”
Color: Black
Magenta
Cyan
courier-journal.com KY-
ROAD CLOSINGS
LOUISVILLE AREA
Frankfort Avenue between River Road and
Story Avenue
Adams Street to the river, including Cabel
and Adams streets
Bridge 5 on Beargrass Creek in Cherokee
Park
Witherspoon Street between Adams Street
and River Road
Adams Street between Witherspoon and
Cabel
Mockingbird Valley Road between River
Road and Zorn Avenue
By David Harrison, The Courier-Journal
U.S. 42 at Bridgepointe in Prospect
Floodwaters surround
Cunningham’s restaurant on
Alta Vista Road at Beargrass Creek Road
Harrods Creek on Monday. 41st Street at Elliott Avenue
Ballardsville and Hitt roads
Ballardsville and Brownsboro roads
Stanton Boulevard and Radiance Road
Old Henry Road and Woodmont Park Lane
Ten Broeck Way and Brookwood Path
71 613 Malcolm Avenue
15000 Taylorsville Road
8400 Wolf Pen Branch Road
841 15000 Lower River Road
Park and Palatka roads
265 4704 Oak Pointe Drive
Campbell and Adams streets
Covered Bridge at Covered Cove
64 Third Street Road between Wisertown Road
and Outer Loop
Browns Lane between Bowling and Sher-
burn Lane
River Road between North Second and
North Eighth streets
Interstate 64 ramp to Third Street down-
265 town
River Road and Blankenbaker Lane
River Road at Zorn Avenue
River Road between Zorn and Edith
Edith between River Road and Mellwood
Avenue
River Road at Juniper Beach Road
River Road at Jacob School Road
River Road at Indian Hills Trail
RECORD RIVER Third Street between Main Street and River
FLOOD CRESTS* Road
Date Feet
5000 block of Overbrook Drive
Mellwood Avenue between Edith and Zorn
Jan. 27, 1937 52.15 Algonquin between 41st Street and Gibson
March 8, 1945 42.1
Feb. 16, 1884 41.7
River Road west of Edith to Wolf Pen Branch
Katherine Station Road
March 12, 1964 41.2 Greenwood Boat Dock and Park
Feb. 16, 1883 39.5 Klondike and Kozy Creek
April 2, 1913 39.4 Riverview Park
March 7, 1997 38.76 Abbotts Beach Road off Dixie Highway near
West Point
Jan. 22, 1907 36.4
BULLITT COUNTY
April 19, 1948 36
March 23, 1933 34.1 Ky. 44W between Shepherdsville Road and
March 4, 1962 33.4 Dixie Highway
Ky. 1491 between mile points 3 and 4
May 10, 1961 33
U.S. 31E just south of Mount Washington
March 23, 1943 33
Ky. 480 at Greenwell Ford Road
April 26, 2011
(projected) Ky. 480 at Woodsdale Road
33
Ky. 61 just south of the Interstate 65 over-
Feb. 22, 1882 32.4 pass
Dec. 14, 1978
31.9 Ky. 61 north of Ky. 1020
*At the McAlpine Locks and Dam, upper gauge. Figures
Abbott Street between First and Second
before McAlpine was built in 1921 are estimates. streets in Shepherdsville
Flood stage is 23 feet.
Upper end of Beech Grove Road between
Source: National Weather Service The Courier-Journal
the 3 and 4 mile markers
Bells Mill Road at Millers Crossing
Buckman Street at Second Street
IN THE GARDEN Carpenter Street in Shepherdsville
Chapeze Lane near the I-65 overpass
The heavy rains and flooding are playing Greenbriar Road near Greenbriar Woods
havoc with gardens, root systems, soil saturation Greenbriar Road near Fischer Lane
and trees. Katherine Station Road near Ohio Valley
And there’s reason for concern, said Donna
Raceway
Michael, a former Jefferson County horticultural
Ky. 126 at Highland Boulevard
agent with the Kentucky Cooperative Extension
Old Preston Highway near Zoneton Middle
Service and a gardening columnist for The Couri-
School
er-Journal.
Preston between Windy Hill Road and Top
Although plants may look green and lush
now, the telltale story will be told in June or July Hill Road
Pumpkin Road in Lebanon Junction
when the heat kicks in. That’s when you’ll know if
your plants suffered significant root damage, she
said.
400 block of Railroad Avenue in Lebanon
Junction
Intersection of Zoneton and Stavemill roads
Michael offers this advice:
Stay off the soil. You’ll do more damage by Tuts Road in Shepherdsville
Ky. 480 just east of Foley Road
walking on wet soil and compacting it than doing
nothing. Stay away.
OLDHAM COUNTY
Roots need oxygen. If possible, aerate your
Ky. 1694, or Sleepy Hollow Road
small perennial bed or small vegetable garden.
Divert water. If downspouts run into your Riverside Drive and a few other roads north
garden, add a longer piece of pipe or PVC to of Rose Island Road near the river
direct water away. HENRY COUNTY
Avoid chemicals, such as weed control and
fertilizers. With all this rain, you’re just wasting Ky. 1360 between mile points 6 and 7
the chemicals and possibly contaminating ground SPENCER COUNTY
water. Ky. 2885 at the Simpson Creek Bridge and
Mulching. Watch mulch heights. If you have
between mile points 5 and 6
a couple of inches, don’t add more. The ideal
depth is 2 to 3 inches. TRIMBLE COUNTY
When to plant. Grab a handful of soil. If it Ky. 2871 between mile points 0 and 1
crumbles or falls apart, it’s dry enough to work.
Help for your flooded business
Q. I see federal loans are sometimes available after
floods. Where can I learn more?
Flood fears are “way
overblown,” Stop Lite Li- A. Your address has to fall within a government-desig-
quors owner Jesse Bollinger, nated “disaster area.” This can take weeks to materialize.
42, said, adding that he ex- Q. Where can I learn more?
pects to stay open through
the flood with customer ac- A. Local help is available at the Kentucky Small Business
cess via nearby Preston Development Help Center at (502) 594-3871. An over-
Street. view of advice and aid can be found at the U.S. Small
At the Tumbleweed res- Business Administration’s website: www.sba.gov/con-
taurant across the street, tent/disaster-preparedness
Bollinger said, floodwaters Q. Can I expect insurance to cover my flood losses?
have risen 3 feet inside. A. Only if you have flood insurance. Each insurance
“It gets a little scary policy is different.
around 33 feet,” he said of the If a disaster is declared, the business must have flood
crest forecast for later this insurance before the Small Business Administration can
week. disburse a loan. If the applicant was legally required to
maintain flood insurance but did not, the SBA will not
Reporter Jere Downs can be make a disaster loan.
reached at (502) 582-4669.