Slaughters receives $150,000 grant to prevent flooding

SLAUGHTERS, Ky. (WEHT) — The city of Slaughters is feeling hopeful after receiving $150,000 to prevent flooding. 

Slaughters, Kentucky received a $150,000 grant from Delta Regional Authority to figure out how to prevent the issue. Slaughters City Clerk Kara Gardner says over 400 people wrote letters with a days notice to the DRA in support of the grant. She says the people of the town deserve to not have to worry anymore.

“When it is fixed, that the people of slaughters, they won’t have flooding in their homes anymore,” Gardener said. “They won’t have to worry about if they’re going to be late to work because they didn’t anticipate, it raining overnight and causing a flood, or that they don’t have to worry about, you know, am I going to flood my car if I drive through this water, stuff like that, you know, I just wanted to be able to help the community.”

The city has faced devastating flooding over the years, Gardener believes that cost of damages isn’t as important as the people of the community. 

“Just because we’re a small community does not mean that we have to settle for less,” Gardener said. “You know, we want to continue to improve our community. You know, we’re trying to make things better for people around here. We don’t want to just say, you’re stuck with this because this is how it is. It should never be that way for anything.”

Gardener says the flash flooding happens quickly. It comes and goes in hours. The damages from the floods have caused many businesses to be torn down due to water damage. The city has been trying to get the issue fixed since the 70’s and with the help of Hunter Philips of the  Green River Area Development District. She is feeling proud. 

“There has been several times that I know that people have attempted to fix the flooding, and it just never got very far,” Gardener said. “And I’m proud to be the clerk that gets the stuff. And I’m proud personally for myself and for this town to be able to do this”

City Clerk Kara Gardner says that she is speaking with the army corps of engineers to get the study off the ground.