Flood in Kentucky, March 1 to 3, 1997

Numerous strong thunderstorms training along a stalled out warm front triggered a record 24 hour rainfall for the county. The combination of flooding and/or flash flooding from the record rainfall resulted in an estimated 50,000 homes effected by flooding. Many of these homes had basements entirely flooded with water into the main floor. Damage was estimated at 65 million dollars not including the river flooding on the Ohio River. The Ford factory on Fern Valley Road had damage to up to 1,500 Explorers. 24 hour rainfall totals beginning around 930 pm est February 28 to 930 pm March 1 ranged from around 6 inches along the Ohio River to 11.5 inches across the communities of Okolona and Fairdale in the southern part of the county. The National Weather Service in Highview reported 9.6 inches during this period and 12.06 inches from the onset through 7 am est March 2. The previous record 24 hour total was 6.97 inches. An estimated 2,500 homes in numerous subdivions in Okolona and Fairdale and across other parts of the county had to be evacuated with hundreds relocated in temporary shelters. Okolona and Fairdale lie in the Pond Creek floodplain which was formerly swamp land. National Guard had to get many of these people out by boat or dumptrucks. Thousands of cars were evacuated or stalled out due to the high waters. Numerous rescues were made with people trapped in cars and in houses. Bloated storm sewers popped off manhole covers that left cars quickly inundated in advancing high water. Several roads were closed around the Jefferson county Forest due to mudslides. A 16 year old boy was killed near Jeffersontown as his van was swept off the road by the swollen Chenoweth Creek. Numerous roads including parts of Interstate 65 and 64 were closed through the morning of March 2. Because of all the damage, the County-Judge Executive declared the county a state of emergency and the county was declared a federal disaster area eligible for federal aid.