Dionte Berry
Features Editor
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Heavy rains this morning forced some Murray residents out of their homes and caused power and phone outages along with flash flooding.
“Overnight we had a lot of heavy rainfall and we started receiving reports of high water, so agencies such as the local highway department and the Calloway County Fire Department began checking roads to see what needed to be shut down,” Kentucky State Police Lt. Brian Duvall said.
Two of the areas with the greatest flooding were the Station 74 apartment complex on 16th Street and Northwood Avenue near 4th Street.
“We had to come to Station because one of our Trooper’s cars was stuck here because it was deep in the water,” Duvall said.
Station 74 residents were also without power throughout the morning along with Campus Evolution Villages North and South and several apartment complexes on Duigiud Drive.
Corinne O’Neal, Station 74 resident and senior graphic design major, said she was without power but her car was not in the flooded area. However, she was concerned that her first floor apartment could flood.
“My apartment is on the first floor and there is a broken gutter right in front of our quadrant so I am kind of concerned that my living room might flood because water is piling high next to the stairs,” O’Neal said.
O’Neal said she was caught off guard by the flash flooding.
“We didn’t get any alerts about a power outage or a flood warning and we didn’t get any message from Station 74 so I don’t think they knew this was going to happen,” O’Neal said. “I was never told that it could flood like this.”
Fellow Station 74 resident and junior horticulture major Joshua Sviben also wasn’t aware of Station 74 flooding possibilities.
“I had no idea it could flood like this and when I moved in I was never told by anyone,” Sviben said. “My roommate had lived here for five years and they have never seen it flood this bad.”
Sviben said his car was spared damage as he parks on the other end of the complex. However, his roommate was not as lucky.
“My roommate’s car was flooded, now that the water has gone down a little we are going to move to put it in neutral and move it out of this lowpoint,” Sviben said.
Around midday, residents started noticing they didn’t have cell phone service. Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T are all reportedly experiencing intermittent outages as of the time this article was published.
A Murray Electric System representative said the power outages earlier today were caused by a downed tree. Power has since been restored.
The News spoke with a representative from Victra, the authorized Verizon retailer in Murray, who said they have received numerous calls and people coming into the store to see what was going on with their phones. The representative said they have not been given information regarding the outage or how long it could last.
The News was not able to get through to the AT&T store in Murray.
The staff at the T-Mobile store confirmed their service is down but could not provide any additional information.
Jacob Hubele, a masters student in business administration, said he has been without phone service but it hasn’t caused too much trouble.
“The outage hasn’t had that much of an effect on me due to mostly what I use my phone for I can go on WiFi,” Hubele said. “I was supposed to receive a call from dad today and I haven’t to do that.”
Hubele’s roommate, Joey Reynolds, junior television production major, said he got caught up in the raging flood waters. Reynolds works for Racer Athletics and was supposed to cover the football game this afternoon as a field level cameraman for ESPN+, which requires him to have a negative COVID-19 test.
“I was headed westbound on 121 after my test and I got caught up in a flash flood,” Reynolds said. “The road started filling up slightly (with water) when I was driving, and my engine just went out. It was quick.”
Reynolds said his car was towed to a local car dealership and his parents brought him a vehicle to use for a few days.
Murray State alumna Chelsea Tucker said she is staying with family in Paducah because her Murray apartment was close to flooding.
“I left because I didn’t want to be trapped in my apartment,” Tucker said. “I knew there was only one way out because part of Bailey Road was washed away.”
Most of the flood waters from this morning have receded as of late afternoon but debris now covers many roadways. Additional rainfall is expected throughout the evening hours, increasing the chance for more flash flooding.
The National Weather Service in Paducah has issued a tornado watch for Calloway County until 10 p.m. and a flash flood warning until 8:15 p.m. A watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather including tornadoes, hail, wind damage and flooding.
The News will continue to monitor the situation and provide updated coverage on our social media pages.
