LOCAL

His car was destroyed at a flooded intersection. So where were the warnings?

Thomas Novelly
Courier Journal

Andrew Chamberlain was driving his car near Six Mile and Breckenridge lanes early Tuesday morning when his vehicle stalled at a flooded intersection, totaling his car. 

There were no barricades or signs warning him to beware of the water or to take another route. 

"I was coming down Breckenridge Lane, going the speed limit, when there was absolutely no indication that this was flooded; there was no police tape, no barricades, there was nothing," Chamberlain told the Courier Journal. "Now my car is totaled under a bridge."

The flooding was caused in part by a nearby pumping station that had been inundated with water, said Andrea Clifford, a spokeswoman with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. 

Louisville weather:Why does it always seem to flood this time of year?

But the state or city wasn't notified until a contractor for the pumping station drove by and saw the flooding. He called the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to address the situation. 

Officials arrived at the pumping station around 8 a.m., about three hours after Chamberlain's car was partially submerged.

Metro Public Works and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet put out barriers on roads that may flood, but only if officials are made aware by the public or law enforcement. In the case with Chamberlain, officials found out too late. 

While the city closes roads when the Ohio River reaches flood levels, most of the closures affect the immediate downtown area. Breckenridge and Six Mile lanes are roughly 13 miles east of downtown, between West Buchel and Jeffersontown. 

"The two sump pumps were working, but the flow of water was too much for these pumps to clear," Clifford said. "The vertical turbine at the station had not come on yet. So our staff manually turned this turbine on and pumped the water from the roadway."

The water cleared at the intersection after the pumps were turned on, Clifford said. 

Check out:The Great Flood devastated Louisville in 1937. See the historic footage

Clifford said calls about highway flooding are typically brought to MetroSafe and then either directed to them or Metro Public Works.

But anyone can report high water areas by calling MetroSafe's nonemergency number, 502-574-2111, or the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Highway Hazard Hotline 1-877-FOR-KYTC (367-5982), which is toll-free. 

While Breckenridge Lane is a state-maintained highway, Clifford said the responsibility to put out barriers in front of flooded viaducts doesn't fall entirely on the state. 

She said emergency personnel, such as Louisville Metro Police, the fire department or Metropolitan Sewer District, can also set up the barriers. 

Metro Public Works Spokesman Harold Adams directed questions about the flooded intersection to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. 

Louisville Metro Police Spokesman Dwight Mitchell said Public Works is responsible for setting up the barriers. He added that police occasionally will park squad cars and leave their police lights on for areas that are highly flooded, but it's up to the officer. 

Louisville flooding:What's the highest the Ohio River has ever been?

This isn't the first time that barriers have been scrutinized during Louisville floods. 

Last September, 40-year-old taxi driver Abdinasir Siyat died when he drove into deep water under a railroad underpass at 13th and Oak streets. 

Numerous Metro Council members critiqued the city's response to the flooding in September

"If the city had put up barricades at key locations where we know flooding takes place, we don't know that the taxi driver wouldn't have driven around them, which people do quite often," Councilman David James said. "But if we have barricades up and a police officer posted there with his lights going, I am fairly certain someone would not have driven through."

Clifford said drivers need to be reminded to stay alert. 

"If they cannot see the pavement, they should turn around and seek an alternate route," Clifford said. 

Weather:After heavy rain in Louisville, dry weather should return ... briefly

Reach Thomas Novelly at 502-582-4465 or by email at tnovelly@courier-journal.com. Follow him on twitter @TomNovelly

Safety tips for driving in rain and high water

As city officials said Tuesday: Turn around, don't drown. 

Here are some other tips from national safety organization Safewise for driving in rain and high water:

  • Check the tires, wipers, fluids, lightsand indicators — make sure they’re in working order and ready for wet, snowy, icy or slushy roads.
  • Turn onlights for visibility.
  • Always use indicators when changing lanes and turning.
  • Stay about 20 seconds behind other cars in case you have to stop suddenly.
  • Don't slam on the brakes.
  • If your car begins to slide, turn into the direction of the slide.
  • Wear your seat belt.