Heavy rains and isolated thunderstorms made their way across Kentucky Tuesday. More than 2 inches of precipitation was predicted in some places, putting most of the state under a flood watch.
National Weather Service Louisville office meteorologist Ron Steve said Tuesday’s rain will likely bring “nuisance flooding.”
“A lot of ponding of water on the roadways that you’re just gonna have to be watchful for if you’re out and about,” Steve said.
Beyond ponding, certain areas could see more substantial flooding.
“There are gonna be some places that are gonna try to fill up with a little more water, if you do encounter those, don’t drive into any water if you don’t know how deep it is,” Steve said.
He said that due to the ratio of concrete to green space in Louisville, the city is at higher risk than other areas for flooding.
“We have so much more pavement and less grassy green area to actually soak up the rain that falls, so obviously more of it runs off and has the potential to cause flooding,” Steve said.
Drivers should watch out for high water signs put out by Louisville Metro Public Works to warn people of dangerous conditions.
Sheryl Lauder, with the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District, said that during weather events like these, people should watch out for limbs blocking sewers.
“We do run pre-event and during-rain-event checks on them to make sure there’s not a build up of limbs, trees, etc. blocking a channel,” Lauder said. “But we have 3,600 miles of those channels, so if you notice that there’s something building up, and the flood is out of control, you can call us, certainly, and report that, and we’ll go out and check it.”
Beyond sewer backups and ponding, the Ohio River is rising from the robust rainfall. Lauder said that the most recent report available to her, showed the river reaching minor flood status on Saturday and only lasting through Sunday.
She reiterated warnings to avoid flooded areas, citing a car that got stuck near Frankfort Avenue Tuesday after going around a barricade.
The NWS predicted the rain to slow down by sunset and completely stop between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Tuesday’s rainfall will have an effect on the cold temperatures predicted for Thursday.
Rain has a cooling effect on the air which will make it easier for temperatures to drop. Steve said Louisville could possibly see a wintery mix Thursday and Friday, but confidence in those predictions is currently low. As the days get closer, it will be more clear what weather events the city can expect.
This story has been updated.
