Pike Co. To Take Preventative Measures Against Flooding

In 1977, Pike County, KY experienced a devastating flood.

Now, to make sure that doesn’t happen again, Pike County is teaming up with the Army Corps of Engineers to take preventative measures.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed the need for flood protection in Pikeville, Coal Run Village, and Elkhorn City. They proposed adding floodwalls to these areas.

On Tuesday, federal, state, and local officials joined at the Pike County Courthouse to sign a project partnership agreement between the Department of the Army and the Pike County Fiscal Court for the Levisa Fork Floodproofing Project in Coal Run.

The project calls for:

• A floodwall to protect the north end of Pikeville, including Pikeville High School.

• A combination of floodwall and levee to protect a large portion of Coal Run Village.

• A ringwall to protect Millard School.

In addition to the flood barriers, the project identifies more than 2,000 structures eligible for floodproofing or acquisition.

Those include:

• 520 residential acquisitions

• 967 residential floodproofing structures

• 443 nonresidential acquisitions

• 28 nonresidential floodproofing structures

• 26 public structures potentially eligible for protect-in-place

Pike County Fiscal Court applied for $442,105 for the Levisa Fork Basin Flood Damage Reduction Project, which will use an ARC grant as matching funds to complete the design of the Coal Run Village Flood Wall and to acquire 10 structures for this project.