PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Days after heavy rainfall, several Eastern Kentucky communities are still dealing with flooded roads, buildings, and homes.
Those in Johnson County say these weather conditions are taxing.
“It takes a toll on your mental, but we knew it was going to get there. We had a warning this time, so we took everything out,” said Robert Belcher, a long-time Johnson County resident.
He said he’s used to seeing Euclid Avenue underwater.
“When I was a kid, this all flooded too. I used to, me and my buddy lived in the house there. We used to fish; we used to go down there and fish when the back water would come. This is nothing new,” he added.
A childhood memory of fun has now turned into more of a headache.
Belcher works at the Veterans Referral Center, a non-profit. He knows his workplace can’t continue to fix their building and the materials they lost.
“We lost everything in 2021,” the veteran said.
He said when he checked on the Veterans Referral Center this morning, there were multiple feet of water inside the building.
This is Johnson County's third time flooded in the past six years.
“It’s really starting to become a hassle to be honest with you,” said Paintsville Mayor Bill Runyon.
Runyon, who has lived in the city for nearly seven decades, added the worst part is the weather will most likely continue.
By Wednesday afternoon, Johnson County could see anywhere from two to four inches of snow.
Meanwhile, several inches of water are still on the ground in Paintsville. The community hopes it will recede into the Levisa Fork before things worsen.
“When you get snow and ice on top of flooding, and your streets have been covered with mud, it presents another problem,” the Mayor added.
But all the city can do right now is hope.
“You just can’t predict mother nature,” concluded Belcher.
