Scott County officials prepare for looming severe weather and flood risks

Yahoo

02-04-2025

SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — It's the calm before the storm as Kentucky braces for another round of potentially severe storms late Wednesday night into Thursday.
As emergency managers prepare for this latest round of storms, flash flooding is a major concern, especially in Scott County.
In February, 65-year-old Paul Joseph Licato died after his truck was swept off the road by rising water.
That is one of the reasons why emergency management officials are urging people to remain home during the storm and use caution once everything subsides.
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Scott County officials prepare for looming severe weather and flood risks
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EMA Director Michael Hennigan said the county is planning on responding to any flash floods first, given the dangers of how quickly the water rises and then recedes.
Then, they will look at some of the longer-term flooding where the water stays for a while.
'We're being very careful with our warnings,' Hennigan said. 'Making sure that the signs are, incredibly, noticeable and then, if necessary, upgrading to barricades and other things so that we can try to protect the motorists as best we can. From that point, we have interactive maps that allow us to show one inch of rain will do this to the county, two inches, so forth and so on.'
Hennigan said rural areas, particularly out near Sadieville and on the outskirts of Georgetown, are of even greater concern regarding this storm, and they will be monitoring things closely to keep the community informed.
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Especially along Elkhorn Creek and other bodies of water are at higher risks of flooding, Hennigan said.
Right now, Hennigan said the county could get 5-7 inches of rain during the course of the storm.
He said there are plans in place for every possible scenario and first responders will be able to help at a moment's notice.
'We've been doing it too long, and we've seen water come up so many times that we just kind of have a bad rhythm that we fall into,' Hennigan explained. 'But when they first start talking about the we're going to have a possibility of a certain number of inches of rain. We know that we need to start taking steps, and we get the right people on board early on so that we don't have to react and do stuff to it in the spur of the moment.'
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Now, when it comes to evacuating homes, Hennigan said people should be smart; residents know where they live better than officials so if you feel you're not safe where you are, find a place to stay for a little while and ride out the storm.
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