MT. WASHINGTON, Ky. (WDRB) — Mt. Washington residents watched this weekend as water rushed through their neighborhoods from widespread flash flooding that prompted a state of emergency in Kentucky.

Having been hit with weather whiplash across the area this month, some of them said this is happening far too often.

Karen Huff believes the problem nearly surrounds her house: a drainage ditch.

"It hasn't rained since Saturday, that I know of, and you see how much water is still trying to drain," Huff said standing over a ditch still holding inches of water Monday.

When it rains, water pours over into Huff's yard, garage and crawlspace. She estimates she's spent thousands of her own money on repairs from flooding the past 15 years. She had the house built by a developer in 2011.

"Every time it rains, I get flooding in my garage and standing water underneath of the house," she said.

Because her home isn't in a floodplain, flood insurance isn't an option.

"When my foundation cracks, who's going to pay for it? Because insurance is not going to cover it," she said. "Because of the water damage from the drainage, and then I'm going to be stuck with a house that I can't sell that I can't afford to fix."

Huff and others experiencing the same issues hope the city will take action. And as flood waters receded from Huff's home, it was city employees who showed up to clean up the mess free of charge.

"At one time, you know, people were just building out and not taking into consideration if you build in one area, what's its effect on another area," said Anthony Branham, a Mt. Washington building official.

While noting that strict requirements have been put in place by the city for newer developments, Branham pointed out that older construction likely had less restrictions for builders which may have overlooked potential drainage concerns. He said there are some problem areas that frequently flood after a lot of rain.

Recently, the city spent $85,000 on a watershed study to analyze some of those issues, according to Branham. He said that data is being used to apply for grants, which could help expand detention basins and improve drainage throughout the city.

However, officials believe that amount of rain falling that quickly can create unavoidable problems.

"Honestly, the amount of rain we had this weekend, I don't know that there's anything you could ever do to completely eradicate drainage issues," Branham said.

Meanwhile, outside the city limits, homeowners are experiencing similar drainage problems. Saturday, a drainage ditch filled up and spilled out onto Josh and Brooke Stearns' yard, garage and home.

Water levels reached 48 inches inside the couples' garage and basement as they rushed back from out of town to try and save what they could.

"We're in the lowest area of the neighborhood, so we get all of the surrounding areas, drainage comes directly to us," Joshua Stearns said Monday in between ripping out drywall and retrieving valuable items.

Stearns pointed out the drainage that runs beside their property line, under the road and out to a sinkhole in a wooded area. He and his neighbors say that when the sinkhole fills up, their properties take the rest.

"Clearly, something needs to be done," he said.

Bullitt County EMA was surveying much of the damage across the county Monday, including what's left behind at the Stearns home on Mapleview Drive. Officials say they are assessing operations from June 27 to provide necessary resources for all residents impacted by the flooding.

In a Facebook post Monday, Bullitt County Emergency Management said neighbors with property damage from the flooding over the weekend can report it to them by emailing their name, address, phone number, a brief description of the damage and photos, if possible, to bullitteoc@bullittky.com, jwaters@bullittky.com and cfarris@bullittky.com. Residents can also call the office at 502-543-2000 or 502-543-2262.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Saturday as heavy rain and dangerous flash flooding impacted much of the state, prompting water rescues, evacuations and emergency declarations across several counties, including Bullitt. 

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