A State of Emergency has been declared by Cumberland County Judge Executive John Phelps and Burkesville Mayor Billy Guffey due to the record level discharge from Wolf Creek Dam causing flooding along the river and backwater on tributaries. Citizens downstream are being warned.
The following is a statement released by the Judge, Mayor and Cumberland County Kentucky Emergency Management, "To the Citizens of Burkesville and Cumberland County...
Due to the amount of rainfall, and the water being released from Wolf Creek Dam, we are experiencing flooding in many areas of the county. The rain may have stopped, but the river is expected to rise to historic levels. And this may not happen until tonight, tomorrow, or the next day.
Roads and bridges closed or in danger of being closed follow:
- Scott's Ferry Road
- Garmon's Ferry Road
- Goose Creek Road
- Lawson's Bottom Road which is Hwy 912
- 704 at the 4 mile marker from 61N
- Cumberland Drive between the Housing Authority and Cliff Street
- Gary Morgan Road at 61N
- Jackson Hollow Road
- Goose Creek Bridge is closed
- Otter Creek Bridge is closed but you can gain access by the hill to Hwy 449
- Garmon's Ferry Bridge closed
- State Bridge in Lawson's Bottom closed
- Crocus Creek Bridge at Bakerton will be closed as will the bridge on Leslie. Due to flooding in the Arat community, when this bridge closes there will be no access to areas of Leslie below the bridge.
Other areas that are affected, or possibly will be, are basically anywhere that you have seen backwater from the Cumberland River.
If you live in one of these areas, or another that you have concern about, we ask that you SERIOUSLY CONSIDER going to a friend or family members home in a safe area if possible. We will be opening at least one Receiving Center for those people that have no other choice of where to go. But we would like to stress that if you can stay with someone until the threat has subsided, please do so, so that we may accommodate those with serious need and nowhere else to go first.
To make sure we know where everyone is we will need to document your information at the receiving centers. So, an ID will be required to stay. For our record keeping and your safety.
PLEASE be aware of your surroundings and give yourself time to leave your home safely if you think the water might get to your home.
We need to make it clear that this water will NOT recede quickly. The water may not go down for up to a week. With the dam releasing 60,000 cubic feet per second today, we have no knowledge of what that will look like. The river could rise a couple more feet or 10 or 15 feet, we just don't know.
If you have an emergency please call 911.
if you need to talk to someone, call Cumberland Co. Emergency Management Director Greg Cary at 270-406-2923, or County Judge Executive John Phelps at 270-459-0241, or Burkesille Mayor Billy Guffey at 270-406-0189."
