As the Ohio River rises toward flood stage, nearby businesses pack up

After the Ohio River filled their dining room with 7 1/2 feet of floodwater last year, River Road BBQ's owners didn't take any chances after hearing dire forecasts calling for the river to rise steeply again this week.

On Sunday and early Monday morning, a crew at the casual eatery north of Zorn Avenue and River Road packed up tables, chairs, refrigerators, stainless steel preparation tables and, most crucially, the smoking pits — all of it now on wheels — and moved everything to storage.

"We just learned our lesson," said Krissy Higgins, general manager. "Last year, we lost of a lot of supplies and goods."

As rain continued to fall Monday, meteorologists predicted the river would inch toward moderate flood stage by the end of the workweek. The conditions forced dozens of businesses and homeowners on both sides of the Ohio River to move out or to begin preparations with an eye on river levels.

Read more:'Continuous rain' will bring Ohio River flooding this week

By Monday afternoon at the McAlpine Upper Dam, the water was nearing 22 feet, about a foot away from the 23-foot benchmark to hit flood stage. The water is expected to rise to nearly 30 feet — which is moderate flood stage — by Friday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Kentucky and Southern Indiana cities near the Ohio River starting Tuesday afternoon until further notice.

The region is expected to receive 2 to 3 inches of rain through Wednesday during the time the flood warning is in effect. Parts of Western Kentucky could see 3 to 4 inches, NWS meteorologist Jessica Bozell said.

That's bad news for businesses and homeowners situated between River Road and Zorn Avenue and the Harrods Creek area. Besides the barbecue restaurant, Captain's Quarters and Cunningham's Creekside had shut down by Monday and more businesses were expected to shut their doors by midweek.

"We can take 30 feet," but if the water keeps rising, "I've got everything ready to go," said Rusty Hocker, owner of Harrods Creek Tavern.

The timing couldn't be worse for eateries looking to cash in on Valentine's Day, a huge day in the local restaurant scene. At the upscale River House, the staff on Monday canceled 400 reservations, manager Kim Weir said, adding that the business expects to close Wednesday.

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

Like Harrods Creek Tavern, River House sits up high enough that moderate flooding doesn't swamp the buildings' interior, but the businesses at times are forced to close if high water cuts off road access.

Across the river in Utica, Indiana, Maggie Moore Johnson and her family cleared their two-bedroom cinder block "river house" of beds, appliances and other furniture. If the gauge hits 27 feet by Wednesday night, "it'll be in the house," Johnson said.

The Johnsons have cleared out their house at least three times in the last 11 years since she bought the place from her dad, she said. With no drywall and a tile floor, the cleanup goes like clockwork, she said, with a pressure washer, bleach and some touch-up paint. 

To prepare for this week, the Metropolitan Sewer District kicked into “minor flood mode” with plans to have 11 flood pumping stations running by Tuesday. Nine were operating Monday.

The pumping stations go into “moderate” mode when the upper gauge reaches 30 feet, spokeswoman Sheryl Lauder said. 

Related:When the Ohio River floods, these Louisville area roads will close

The agency also expects to close roads as it locks down floodgates at 10th and 27th streets. Traffic headed toward the Ohio River will be detoured to prevent people from driving into flooded conditions and to keep water from reaching other parts of the city.

While the upper pool's 30-foot prediction is noteworthy, it's well short of the more devastating floods in Louisville's history. In February 2018, the river reached 35.6 feet. Flood levels for the March 1997 flood that caused nearly $200 million in damage reached 38.8 feet.

During the Great Flood of 1937, the Ohio River crested at 52.1 feet at the McAlpine Upper that January. 

Reporters Thomas Novelly and Darcy Costello contributed. Grace Schneider: 502-582-4082; gschneider@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @gesinfk. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/graces.