Dale Oliver sorts through floating remnants of toys and pictures as he and his family pack anything they can salvage into their truck and SUV on Cave Mill Road.
Oliver was unsure where his family would live from now on.
“It just sucks when everything you’ve worked for is gone,” Oliver said. “We literally have nothing.”
Flood waters remained high Monday and are expected to recede gradually throughout the week as water flows into the Barren River. Oliver is one of many Bowling Green residents whose home was left unlivable by the stagnant water.
While no fatalities have been recorded, the City of Bowling Green expects substantial property loss, according to Public Information Officer Deborah West.
According to local residents, the area around Cave Mill Road is especially susceptible to flooding as water travels downhill into cave systems that connect to Lost River Cave.
Oliver’s daughter, Alyssa, and son, Zachary, both have autism and require sensitive medical attention in their daily lives.
Zachary, who helped remove items from the home, underwent an eight-hour-long operation for a cardiovascular condition earlier this month, leaving his activity restricted so he didn’t stress his heart.
The critical medication Dale’s kids needed was delayed by closed roads caused by flooding. One medication needed to be reordered after an Amazon delivery van couldn’t access the home.
Oliver attempted to remove as much as possible from the house before temperatures dropped below freezing Monday night, making the water too dangerous to wade.
Further down Cave Mill Road, Remzja Avdic surveys the damage to her property with her husband, Suvad Mehmedovic, while her mother and father wait outside, away from the water.
“I have no idea who can help,” Avdic said. “I definitely need help; I try asking for help. We have no flood insurance.”
Avdic moved to Bowling Green in 1999, following the aftermath of the Bosnian War. Once here, she worked to secure immigration visas for her parents and husband.
She has lived in the house since 2015 and raised two children who went on to attend WKU. Her daughter, Amela Mehmedovic, currently attends WKU studying business and finance.
Avdic said Monday she is unsure if she will return to the home, where flooding in the basement has reached above the ceiling.
The storm drainage system, as well as the cave system it relies on underneath, is overwhelmed, according to the City of Bowling Green’s Emergency Update. Many unknowns remain until the water recedes.
The City of Bowling Green is eligible for FEMA reimbursement if the city meets a property damage threshold, according to the emergency update, meaning some homeowners could be financially supported.
Warren County Emergency Management organized temporary shelters before temperatures dropped below freezing Monday night. The city continues to ask residents to stay off roads, not drive around barriers and avoid entering stagnant waters that could be contaminated with sewage.
