Melodie Phelps, News Editor
CNHI
5-12-10 — There was literally water everywhere‹over roadways, in swollen ditch
lines, over bridges and in homes‹as Wayne County received 6.60 inches of
rain during a 48-hour period. And there was wind, as an EF-1 tornado was
confirmed in the Meadow Creek area of Wayne County Sunday afternoon.
Wayne County Emergency Management Director Bubby Corder said that the
tornado, which packed winds of 120 miles per hour, was confirmed by National
Weather Service officials who visited the area on Monday. One home was
heavily damaged. There was damage to another residence and a barn.
Corder said that the damage was confined to an area along Dodson Hollow
Road and that the tornado was on the ground for about a quarter mile at
approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
No injuries were reported in connection with the tornado.
The same storm systems that brought severe weather to the area also
brought torrential rains. J.D. Rogers, local observer for the National
Weather Service, noted that 2.74 inches of rain was recorded from 7 a.m.
Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday. An additional 3.86 inches of precipitation had
fallen by Monday morning.
Flooded roads were reported in all areas of the county, from Highway
3106 to Frisby Road to Spann Hill. High water reports kept road crews, the
Wayne County Rescue Squad and the state highway department busy on Sunday,
as they tried to keep motorists safe.
Wayne County Judge-Executive Greg Rankin stated that the Emergency
Operations Center (EOC), which is located in the basement of City Hall, was
opened Sunday evening, as officials from different agencies worked together
to coordinate the response to flooding.
There were numerous reports of flooded roads on Sunday night, and the
local 911 dispatch received many calls from local residents reporting high
water. Several of those roads remained closed on Monday morning, according
to Rankin. They included a portion of Highway 3106 near Wright Hollow Road,
a portion of Frisby Road, and a portion of East KY 90 was down to one lane
of traffic.
Rankin said calls began to come in Monday regarding damage to roads
around the county. He said that road crews were answering the calls as soon
as possible to try to address hazardous situations.
Both local school districts opted to delay school by one hour on Monday
morning because of the numerous road closures.
Corder said that water appeared to be receding in many areas on Monday
afternoon, but noted that there were still roads closed, like East KY 92 as
well as a portion of Highway 3106.