Several Eastern Kentucky school districts close, dismiss early due to flooding
Multiple eastern Kentucky school districts are closed Friday due to flooding from heavy rainfall.
School districts in Floyd, Johnson and Magoffin counties are closed Friday due to the the rain. Clay, Lawrence and Letcher counties dismissed students early.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 12, which covers most of the counties affected by the heavy rain, reported that several road closures due to high water in Floyd, Lawrence, Letcher and Pike counties.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 10, which covers Magoffin and other counties, said KY 52 in Lee County, KY 711 in Morgan County and KY 613 in Powell County were closed due to high water on the road. The district said crews will address drainage issues and remove mudslides or place “high water” signage as needed.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 11, which covers Clay and other counties, reported road closures of KY 1780 in Leslie County and KY 2013 in Bell County.
Several of the countries are under a flood advisory while Boyd, Carter, Greenup and Lawrence counties are under a flood warning from the heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service. The warning will remain in effect until 2 p.m. Friday due to ongoing flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone areas.
The NWS said the areas included in the flood advisory have gotten up to two inches of rain, resulting in overflowing creeks and streams. While rainfall amounts have slowed down Friday, creeks and streams will likely run high through Friday afternoon.
The Red River at Clay City in Estill and Powell counties are also included in the flood advisory. The NWS said the Red River is approaching flood-stage levels. Maple Street, near the Red River Ranch and Pompeii Road, off Kentucky Route 15 was reported to be impassable.
Johnson County School District is using its ninth day of non-tradition instruction learning Friday, nearing the 10-day limit set by state law. The district was one of several that canceled traditional classes for much of the middle of January after snow and ice pounded the region.
Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher plans to ask lawmakers for more NTI days to accommodate school districts that have reached or are approaching the 10-day limit.
