Flood in Christian, Kentucky

Widespread major flooding occurred in the Hopkinsville area in response to 8 to 11 inches of rain in a 36-hour period. One fatality was directly attributed to the flooding in Hopkinsville, where a 10-year-old girl was swept into a culvert while playing in a low-lying area. A total of 142 residences and 38 businesses were affected by flooding. Many of the evacuees were from neighborhoods flooded by the Little River. About a dozen families were sheltered at Red Cross or Salvation Army facilities.The Kentucky National Guard was mobilized to assist Christian County, where the Governor of Kentucky surveyed flood damage. At least a dozen businesses were closed along the main corridor between Fort Campbell and Hopkinsville. A number of people were rescued from their car rooftops on flooded streets. At the Christian County High School, a section of the roof collapsed, destroying a couple of classrooms. Two other school facilities in the county sustained water damage. All schools in the county were closed. Between 40 and 50 roads were closed or had substantial high water on them. The emergency management director reported this flooding was comparable to the 1997 flood. The initial round of very heavy rain during the early morning of the 29th was not directly associated with Tropical Storm Katrina. This round of flooding rains, between 6 and 8 inches, occurred in a narrow east-west band through Hopkinsville. The co-operative observer in Hopkinsville reported 6.47 inches during this initial event. A second heavy rainfall event, directly associated with Katrina, produced an additional 3.45 inches at Hopkinsville less than 24 hours later. In Trigg County, schools were closed. Over a dozen roads were closed in Trigg County, mainly due to flooding. The Little River in Cadiz rose out of its banks.In Todd County, at least 15 secondary roads were closed, including many roads off of U.S. Highway 68. County schools were closed. The Elk Fork Creek rose out of its banks.