Over the last five months, the City of Hopkinsville and Christian County has experienced no less than three historic rain events — each causing its fair share of damage and disrepair to the community.
In February, a “once every 100 years” storm brought around six inches of rain and was followed with snow — causing immediate flood concerns near Little River.
Then, in April, a “once every 500 years” deluge emptied between 14 and 16 inches across the state — banks swelling well past flood stage in many regions across the Commonwealth, but especially here in south western Kentucky.
Finally, this past Saturday, a “once every 1,000 years” hour was observed — when more than 4.1 inches fell near Hopkinsville Community College in less than 60 minutes.
Caught in that Saturday surge: City Councilwoman Brandi Stallons, who along with four children and her husband live in Ward 2 along Talbert Drive.
She and her family could only watch in horror, as several feet of water poured into their — and many other — homes, forcing evacuation.
Within 10 more minutes, Stallons said their basement had more than 10 feet of water. A flood came up to their final basement stair, claiming their downstairs drywall and breaker box while ripping their water heater from its bracing.
Stallons made it clear: “everything happened so fast.”
Around noon, she knew storms were coming through the region. She said contractors in possession of about $15,000 of equipment were working on the basement and the home at the time.
Rain began to fill their backyard, and head to a drainage ditch near their house. Nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, she was still cooking a late breakfast for everyone.
Living in this “University Heights” neighborhood, Stallons added each new flood problem has been worse than the last — and with not many perceivable answers in sight. Insurance fails to cover homes and property not located on a flood plain, FEMA assistance only comes if a disaster has been declared, and among her constituents, as well as herself, some foundations, crawlspaces and air conditioning units have been swallowed in storms.
She said her primary concerns moving forward are what feel like the “increasing amounts of flooding” in northern Hopkinsville, and she’s worried about everything in that area — from Hopkinsville Community College, the Christian County High School and its baseball field, to the homes near, and along, North Drive and Glass Avenue.
Stallons said she and at least two other city council members took scores of concerned calls over the weekend, and as a trio, they visited the Hopkinsville Surface and Stormwater Utility Monday morning.
There, they learned that most of Hopkinsville’s municipal drainage infrastructure is built to sustain and re-route roughly 4.2 inches of rain every three hours — which is still considered flood-like, historic precipitation.
Anything more than that at any time, and problems literally begin to rise.
In a conversation with the News Edge, Utility Manager Steve Bourne said the city has unfortunately experienced back-to-back-to-back “acts of God” weather events, testing infrastructure like “never before.”
Their job, he said, is to collect data and assess community needs, and constituents have a few options at their disposal during these times:
+ They can call Hopkinsville Surface and Stormwater at (270) 887-4035 for consultation and property evaluation.
+ They can refer to sources like their homeowner’s insurance, or perhaps a potential FEMA federal disaster declaration.
+ They can continue to improve drainage issues at the micro-level, perhaps through ditching or other means.
+ Or, as an absolute last-case scenario, they can remove damaged or flood-prone structures to new areas.
Councilmember Brandi Stallons has served on City Council since 2025. She currently holds positions on the Christian County Senior Center Board, Long Range Planning and Coordination Committee, and Westwood Senior Homes Board.
A GoFundMe was created to help the Stallons family: Fundraiser for Brandi Stallons by Lisa Glatthaar : Rebuild Brandi & Josh’s Flooded Home.
Videos provided by Brandi Stallons
