By Chad Lampe
Paducah, KY – Rain and severe weather continue today through Wednesday. National Weather Service forecasters predict an additional 9 inches of rain by mid-week. Just yesterday, Kentucky Mesonet reported rainfall totals ranged from some 2 inches in Calloway County to upwards of six inches in Marshall County. Flooding associated with the rain will surpass the '97 Paducah flood. Hydrologist Mary Lamb suspects evacuations will remain an issue.
"Most of the evacuations we've dealt with so far have been due to the flash flooding I'm sure we'll be dealing with the emergency managers closely over the next couple of days as to our river elevations and who's going to be evacuated. I'd say that anyone who needed to be evacuated in 97 needs to pay attention and start planning to be evacuated again this year."
Lamb says it's been more than 25 years since the Ohio and Mississippi have flooded at the same time at this magnitude. She says the Ohio is set to crest May 3rd in Paducah at its second highest level on record, 55 feet. Paducah's flood wall protects from levels up to 64 feet.