350 Kentucky state roads closed after flood disaster. How to check your route
One week into a historic flood disaster that has prompted more than 70 Kentucky counties to declare states of emergency, the Ohio River has yet to crest in some parts of Western Kentucky and hundreds of roads remain closed.
In a news conference Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear warned of ongoing life-threatening conditions in the state.
“It is still dangerous out there. Do not drive through water. Do not drive around barricades. Do not think that you can drive around where the mudslides, where the landslides are. Please be careful,” Beshear said.
Thursday, the governor said the state has moved many swift water boat teams from Central to Western Kentucky, “knowing that the worst of the flooding is still going to come to Henderson, Owensboro and then maybe Paducah.”
Beshear noted the Ohio River crested in Louisville Wednesday, and it’s expected to crest in Owensboro Saturday or Sunday, in Henderson Sunday and in Paducah some time next week.
At least 350 state highways remained closed Thursday, down from more than 500 immediately following the rain system. As of Thursday, Beshear said 341 state highways were closed by high water and 12 by rock or mudslides.
Officials have also cautioned city- or county-owned roads may additionally be affected by flooding in some areas.
“Remember, there’s a lot of pavement still under water,” he said. “Turn around, don’t drown.”
The governor also said Thursday several bridges across the state have been damaged.
Bridge inspections and highway damage assessments are underway. Beshear noted 85 bridges have been inspected, four have issues and two are closed, including Kentucky 1462 in Marshall County and the Tim Road Bridge in Graves County.
Which Kentucky state routes have been affected by flooding?
Road conditions and closures due to flooding are subject to change, so state officials have advised checking goky.ky.gov for updates before you get on your way. Drivers can also track road conditions by downloading the Waze mobile phone app.
Allen Blair, deputy director of public affairs at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, underscored the importance of not relying on GPS guidance for directions, paying attention to your surroundings and not driving on flooded roads or those washed out by landslides.
In some cases, there have been reports of people driving past barricades or even moving them, which misleads other drivers into believing a dangerous road has reopened, Blair told the Herald-Leader.
“We don’t want people passing barricades,” Blair said in an interview Thursday afternoon. “There might be just a small amount of water that you can see visually, but you don’t know if the road is still intact under there… We’ve seen this a number of times, and we just want everybody to be safe.”
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