‘Mere moments.’ Madison County residents recall narrowly escaping floodwaters
Madison County resident James Meredith said he and his family had “mere moments” to escape their two-story home on Tates Creek Road before floodwaters destroyed it Saturday afternoon.
By Sunday, the sun was shining as he and his fiancée, Shannon Webb, cleared out their home, which had broken glass, ripped floors and entire walls missing.
They have lived at the home for four years. In that time, they’ve never experienced flooding from the small creek out back like they did Saturday, they said.
“It happened so quick,” Webb said. “It is heartbreaking to lose everything. There were a lot of years’ worth of work here. It’s things you just won’t ever get back.”
She said by the time they noticed the water rising, it was closing in from both sides. They only had time to get their dogs and kids and run to higher ground across the street.
After that, Webb says she doesn’t remember anything.
Their home was one of hundreds affected by flooding Saturday after eight inches of rainfall was recorded, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
As of Sunday, three people died as a result of flooding in Madison County, according to Deputy Coroner Carlos Coyle. Their names have not been publicly released. Another person died in Jackson County, the coroner reported Saturday.
Webb’s next door neighbor, Shasta Hensley, said she had 10 minutes to grab her dogs and her ID before they also sought higher ground across the roadway.
“We watched it all happen,” she said.
She called her friend from Knott County, who experienced devastating flooding two years ago. She advised her what next steps would be to start recovery efforts.
Sunday, she was shoveling out her home and searching for her late mother’s lost wedding ring.
Flooding damage in Madison, other counties
Beshear said 17 households in Madison County were sheltering while 320 homes were without water.
The number of communities that declared a state of emergency went from five to 18 overnight: Bullitt, Clinton, Cumberland, Garrard, Grayson, Jackson, Jessamine, Madison, Meade, Mercer, Metcalf, Spencer and Wayne counties, along with the cities of Albany, Brandenburg, Burkesville, McKee and Muldraugh.
“This flooding has devastated so many communities across our state and taken the lives of four children of God, gone too soon,” said Beshear said in a Sunday update. “While we are still in the search and rescue phase, we are also working quickly to survey damage to submit a request for federal assistance. People have lost their homes and so much more, and this type of support will be essential as we work to recover and rebuild together.”
He said his administration will be asking for both individual and public assistance from the federal government.
