CARROLLTON, Ky. — In the city where the Ohio River meets the Kentucky River, homeowners are still waiting for flood waters to recede before they can begin assessing damage and starting the cleanup process.
Both rivers crested two days ago, but many homes remain partially submerged.
The water has receded quickly and significantly — one property owner said it receded a block in 24 hours — but numerous homes are still surrounded by water, leaving residents bracing for what they might find inside.
Sue King, a lifelong Carrollton resident who experienced previous floods in 1997 and 2018, returned to her home Thursday.
The yard is still flooded despite being 100 yards from the Kentucky riverbank.
WATCH: How the floodwater compares to earlier this week
To reach the steps, she had to use a mini ladder. Despite the difficult climb to reach it, she found her property had escaped interior damage.
"It kind of scared me there for a while, but it's fine," King said. "I can live with it, get it cleaned up."
As the floodwater recedes, a neighborhood is slowly emerging from the water. A previously submerged lawnmower is now visible on Mason Street. A car is now only half soaked.
Rick Smith showed the ongoing flooding around a property where he does electrical work, noting that the water was probably about a foot and a half above the tables in the patio at the still-submerged Tiki Bar on Main Street.
Smith expressed particular concern about the nearby community of Prestonville, where he believes the flooding will leave a permanent mark.
"There are all kinds of local homes and houses that's just completely destroyed. I don't think we'll ever be the same," Smith said.
Chris Helmig, whose home WCPO 9 first visited on Monday, still can't access his property except by boat. We saw his pastor, Joseph Lumbrix, paddling by Point Park on Thursday.
"I was out yesterday with my friend Chris. We went to explore his house. It's underwater," Lumbrix said.
Despite the extensive damage, he remained optimistic about recovery efforts: "It'll be a good cleanup, tear out carpets and wallboard, dry it out and go again."
For many homeowners, the uncertainty of not knowing the extent of damage inside their homes adds to the stress of the situation. One resident, whose house remains inaccessible by foot, knows the water line rose above the carpet line earlier this week but cannot yet assess the full extent of interior damage.
Despite the challenges ahead, members of this river community say their resilience will help them prepare to rebuild once again.
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