LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) – In Utica, flooding is more of a cycle than a surprise. Every decade or so, high water returns —and when it does, it leaves behind a mess that locals know all too well.
As the most recent floodwaters recede, a thick coat of mud has blanketed the small river town. It’s in the homes, on the streets, across yards — coating nearly everything in its path.
The cleanup has begun, and it’s not pretty.
Soaked drywall is trash. Debris is piling up in the alleys, and the best way to clear the mud is with more water, and a good scrubbing.
Ed and Debbie Meyer are among those dealing with the mess. They bought their Utica home as a getaway spot. Now, they’re ankle-deep in sludge.
“I love it,” Ed said with a laugh, admiring his mud-covered wife.
Their 100-year-old house took on four feet of water. Debbie said the home is made from river rock, complete with visible fossils and a beautiful stone fireplace.
“We were in the process of renovating anyway,” she said. “So the good news is we hadn’t finished. The bad news is we have to redo a little bit of what we did.”
Despite the setback, the couple is optimistic. Ed said the home’s charm outweighs the occasional disaster.
“If this happens every seven, eight, ten years—it’s just part of it," Ed said.
For longtime residents Joe and Terry Roman, floods are nothing new. They’ve lived in Utica their entire lives, and their family built their house in 1963 — just in time for the flood that same year.
“I remember it very well,” Joe said. “The big dead carp floating in the bathtub. A dead cow on the roof of a house. Our propane tank was across the yard when we came back. We played in the mud while mom and dad were doing what they had to do.”
This time, their home was spared, but Joe’s workshop wasn’t so lucky. A thick layer of mud now covers everything inside.
Still, Joe said he is staying put.
“The hardest part is the anticipation,” he said. “Once it happens, the reality sets in — and you just do what you have to do.”
Joe recalled an old saying from his parents, “If the river goes down too fast, it’s going to come right back up.”
That’s the worry now.
After every flood, they’ve watched neighbors pack up and leave for good. But the Romans have stayed — though they admit the cleanup doesn’t come as easy as it used to.
“If the river comes again and we can’t fix it back, then we’ll leave,” Joe said. “But until then…it’s just part of life.”
Top stories:
- Man shot during carjacking but suspect arrested, Louisville police say
- Volunteers rally to clean up Waterfront Park in Louisville after historic flooding
- 'The best is yet to come': Louisville's Kelsey breaks down his Year 2 roster
Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
