West Point residents riding out Ohio River flooding put preparations to the test

WEST POINT, Ky. (WDRB) -- As floodwaters from the Ohio River continue to rise, residents who built their homes with high water in mind are putting those preparations to the test.

Friday, WDRB spoke with Mark Misback, who lives with his wife in a blue house near the river—one they built about three years ago specifically to withstand flooding.

Standing on the third floor deck of his elevated home, Misback explained on the phone how quickly the situation escalated over the weekend.

“I already brought up a freezer, refrigerator, stove, and some tools, patio chairs, pressure washer,” he said. At the time, water was just beginning to creep into his yard and his garage was still dry. But three days later, it was a different story—rushing water had completely overtaken the garage.

“It came up so fast Saturday night. I've never seen it come up that fast,” Misback said. “But it’s actually slowed down now. I’ve got a piece of wood floating in front of the house, and it’s not even moving.”

Just down the street, Christina Johnson returned home from work Monday to find her basement flooding.

“When I left at four this morning, there wasn’t anything in the basement,” Johnson said. “By the time I got home, the cold, dirty river water was coming in.”

The water forced Johnson and her family to haul out appliances from the basement—including the washer, dryer, refrigerator, and deep freezer.

Though the power is still on at her house, utility crews were spotted shutting off electricity in parts of town. To prepare, Johnson said they bought a generator just the day before. “We just bought that yesterday,” she noted.

Johnson, who describes herself as someone who likes a clean and orderly home, admitted the chaos has been tough to handle.

“Oh my God. This has really got my anxiety all over the place,” she said.

Despite the stress, she, her family, and their three dogs plan to stay put—at least until the water reaches the first floor, which would require another three feet of rise.

As the Ohio River continues to swell, neighbors are doing what they can—moving fast, staying alert, and hoping their preparations are enough to ride out the worst of the flood.

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