HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Nearly one year after an unprecedented flood hit Christian County and devasted other areas Kentucky, Hopkinsville Surface and Stormwater Utility is putting in the work to combat future flooding issues through flyovers and community reports.
In early April of 2025, heavy and persistent rainfall flooded large areas of downtown Hopkinsville and surrounding neighborhoods. It took the city multiple weeks to full eradicate floodwaters, with one Hopkinsville neighborhood having over 13 million gallons of water manually removed via pump. During the flood event, highwater surrounded the Christian County Jail as the Little River rose multiple feet, with businesses on North Drive and nearby severely damaged along with over 150 homes.
“Every rainfall is different; you don’t just have a one size fits all and that’s what we saw this past year,” said Steve Bourne, manager with HSSU. “It really comes down to the intensity and how much you get over what period of time.”
The Hopkinsville Surface and Stormwater Utility was created just over 20 years ago to address surface and river flooding issues that impacted the city for many years. Their crews maintain stormwater basins in the city and manage the watershed lakes.
Buying out homes, utilizing helicopter to monitor jams
“We tell everyone stormwater management happens when the sun shines, not when it’s raining,” Bourne said, adding that work is year-round in order to prepare their systems…