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Floodwaters close Owensboro Racing & Gaming

Owensboro Racing & Gaming was built with at least the possibility of flooding in mind. After all, the property at the intersection of U.S. 60 and Wrights Landing Road in east Daviess County is listed as being in a floodplain area. But while the facility was built up out of the flood area, Wright's Landing Road was another matter. '(There's) nothing we can do about the road,' general manager Steve Roof said Thursday. With water creeping over Wrights Landing Road in front of the gaming facility's entrances, officials with the Churchill Downs-owned facility decided to shut down the center until the flood waters have receded. The closure of the center, which is generally open 24 hours a day, was announced Thursday morning. The practically new gaming center has only been open since February. A Churchill Downs press release says the decision to temporarily close the center 'is a measure to ensure the safety of our guests, team members and the surrounding community.' Brian Howard, executive director of the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission, said the maps for the area that were updated in 2009 and in 2024, show the property has a base flood elevation of 390 feet. Base flood elevation is the height water is expected to reach during a '100 year' flood. With the base flood elevation gauged at 390 on the property, Owensboro Racing & Gaming officials built the facility higher, Howard said. 'They built their building at 391 feet,' Howard said. Roof said he could not comment about how much it costs the facility in lost revenue to close. Roof said he did not know how long it would be before the gaming center could reopen. 'We are just trying to gauge the water on the road,' Roof said. Roof, who had been at the gaming center Thursday, said officials were not concerned about floodwater getting into the facility. 'We are built up pretty high,' Roof said. Roof said he did not know of any plans to raise Wrights Landing Road. 'Obviously, (we) don't have anything to do with the road itself,' Roof said.