While more than 60 roads are still submerged and some small parts of western Daviess County remain cut off due to high water, officials say the area is slowly beginning the transition from flood response to recovery, though the process will be lengthy and complex.
Daviess County Emergency Management Agency Director Andy Ball held a press conference Monday to outline the current state of the flooding and what comes next for affected residents. He said the Ohio River and Green River both crested over the weekend, but many areas — particularly in the western part of the county near Stanley and Curdsville — remain inundated.
“We’re not out of the water yet, as you would say,” Ball said. “We’ve still got 49 county roads underwater and about 15 points on state highways. Some areas will be under for several more days.”
Ball said local and state agencies met Monday morning at the Daviess County Emergency Operations Center to begin pivoting to recovery efforts, but response remains active as emergencies continue to arise.
“In fact, as we were pulling up to the press conference, we had a water emergency happening here in Daviess County with first responders being dispatched,” he said. “So that will continue over the next several days.”
A shelter remains open at Owensboro Christian Church on New Hartford Road for residents who have been displaced. Ball said the facility has cots, linens, food, and water, and is free of charge for anyone in need.
As the water slowly recedes, damage assessments will ramp up. Ball said FEMA representatives were already in town Monday morning conducting initial evaluations, although some areas remain inaccessible.
“They assessed what they could get to, and they assessed several other counties as well to help enable us to get that individual assistance declaration,” Ball said. “We should see something in the next few days on whether that’s going to get approved.”
In addition to assessing damage to public infrastructure like roads and bridges, officials are also gathering reports from residents and businesses. Ball emphasized the importance of documenting flood-related damage now rather than waiting.
“We’re calling for all Daviess County residents to make sure that if you do have damages, you’re reaching out to my office,” he said. “That helps with the individual assistance declaration and allows us to create a game plan for collecting information across the county.”
Photos and documentation can be submitted to the Daviess County Emergency Management Agency at [email protected] or [email protected].
Ball said another key component of recovery will be debris removal. Plans are in the works for centralized drop-off locations throughout the county, where materials can be separated by category — such as hazardous materials, construction debris, and landscaping waste.
“Please don’t start pulling stuff out and taking it to the landfill just yet,” Ball said. “Be on the lookout for those plans to be released through our media and social channels.”
Residents who need help with cleanup can also call a statewide Disaster Survivor Call Center. Volunteers are available to assist with tasks such as removing drywall or transporting debris. That same number is posted on the agency’s Facebook page.
To further assist with cleanup, Ball said the American Red Cross donated more than 200 muck-out kits, which include cleaning supplies like mops, brooms, and sponges. Residents can call the Emergency Management office at 270-685-8448 to schedule a pickup.
Stanley remains among the hardest-hit areas, with some residents still isolated due to surrounding water from both the Ohio and Green rivers. While the Ohio River is dropping steadily, Ball said the Green River is receding at a much slower rate — just a few inches over several days.
“I’ve been in talks daily with the Stanley Assistant Fire Chief Luke Cecil, Daviess County Fire Chief Jeremy Smith, and Duayne Harper from the Sheriff’s Office,” Ball said. “They’re not aware of any immediate needs, but if something comes up, they assess it and get in a boat to take care of it.”
Ball credited the response to a collaborative team effort between county and city agencies, volunteer firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, healthcare workers, and others.
“When you get a community cut off like Curdsville or Stanley, we rely heavily on all of our first responders,” he said. “They’ve done a great job assessing needs and getting people what they need.”
Despite ongoing challenges, Ball said the resilience of rural residents in western Daviess County has been on full display.
“They’re ready. During ice storms, they’ve got firewood cut. During floods, they’ve got the means to stay put for a couple of weeks,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and even my first responders rely on those folks for local information.”
As for the road to recovery, Ball said it will be long, especially if the county secures a federal declaration for Individual Assistance (IA). If approved, FEMA would return to host residential meetings and assist eligible homeowners and renters with recovery funds — though he cautioned that insured losses would not be covered.
“There’s no double-dipping,” Ball said. “If you’re insured, FEMA won’t pay out for those structures. But if we get that IA declaration, we’ll help as many people as we can.”
Statewide, Ball said damages are rapidly climbing. On Monday morning, the Kentucky emergency management dashboard listed $20 million in public infrastructure damage across the state. By his 10 a.m. meeting, that number had jumped to $23 million.
“This is not something that’s going to be one and done overnight,” Ball said. “It’s going to be a long road to recovery.”
He closed the press conference with a message of hope.
“We’re going to get there,” he said. “If you have concerns or questions, call our office. We’re here to help.”
