CLIFTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As the water level of the Kentucky River drops, residents and first responders in Clifton are hard at work, clearing the damage left in its wake.
Firefighters from Versailles and Woodford County have begun blasting roads and driveways with fire hoses to remove layer upon layer of mud deposited by the river.
"The deeper the mud, the harder it is going to be," said Versailles Fire Chief T.A. Rankin. "An early approach is always better because if it dries, it’s a lot harder to manage."
Once the roads are clear, firefighters plan to move inside homes to conduct deep cleans for those that can be salvaged. The recovery timeframe is uncertain.
"I think months and for some people, years," Rankin added. "Some of these homes are so far gone, there'll be some process to go through to either demolish or raze these homes, not just restore them."
Jeremy Blake Young is among the residents dealing with significant loss. His house was inundated, and he's now faced with the daunting task of cleaning up.
"The first thing I found when I walked in was everything floating," Young said, noting the priority was securing personal items like his mother's ashes and his children’s belongings.
The interior of Young’s house is soaked, with the walls waiting to be stripped down to the studs.
"It sucks starting over, but here we are again," Young said.
Yet, despite the setbacks, he remains committed to living by the river.
"It shows you what you really need in life," he said. "You don't need all these items and stuff to have a good life."
Across the street, neighbor Paul Wright is also engaged in clean-up efforts.
"What we've found out — on the river, there's a boss, and it's the river," Wright said. "The river is boss. You see what you get. You have to take the good with the bad, and this is the bad. But I'm going to tell you, I feel the good outweighs the bad."
