Kentucky county issues emergency evacuation order as river rises
Officials issued emergency evacuation orders in Pendleton County on Saturday because of flooding on the Licking River.
One order directed residents to leave Butler by 4 p.m., and the other ordered residents to leave Falmouth, the county seat, by 8 p.m.
Falmouth has a population of about 2,200, and about 650 people live in Butler.
Officials asked people to evacuate over concerns they would be trapped in their homes with no electricity or water, and that first responders would not be able to reach them, said Rob Braun, volunteer public information officer for Pendleton County Emergency Management.
The river was projected to crest at 48 feet early Monday, though that was subject to change. At that level, it would flood houses in both cities and cut off access to Butler, Braun said.
Water was already in some houses at midday Saturday, Braun said.
Braun said volunteers were going door to door Saturday afternoon, telling people about the orders, and that most people were complying.
Many people remembered the massive flood of March 1997, when water from the river inundated Falmouth.
The flood caused five deaths in the county and nearly 1,000 people lost homes, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
There were two shelters set up in the county, and officials had arranged transportation for people who needed help. The number to call for help is 859-654-6540.
Braun said officials were not forcing people to evacuate, and that some had decided not to leave their homes.
In those cases, officials and volunteers were cautioning people that they might not have utilities and that emergency workers might not be able to reach them.
Workers evacuated about 80 residents from two nursing homes ahead of the expected Saturday flooding.
Braun said officials that local police would be out to provide security for empty homes and that officials also had asked for help from the Kentucky National Guard.
It wasn’t clear Saturday afternoon when the evacuation order might be lifted, Braun said.
This story was originally published April 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM.
