Water draining, no emergencies

Gallatin County Sheriff Shannon Bradley says the county has handled no flood-related emergencies since the rivers and streams rose in the past couple weeks.

"This was a good flood if there is such a thing as a good flood," Bradley said.

The department has received no reports of property damage, vehicles stalled in floodwater nor boaters in jeopardy.

"We have been very fortunate," Bradley said.

Several rural roads have been cut off as the Ohio, Saline and Little Wabash rivers and their tributaries have risen.

According to the National Weather Service Web site, the Ohio River at Old Shawneetown crested at 48.36 feet 11:45 p.m. Friday - making it the 19th highest recorded Ohio River crest at Shawneetown - and had dropped to 46.43 feet by 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The Moderate Flood Stage level is 43 feet. The highest historic crest was 65.64 feet Jan. 30, 1937, which preceded moving Shawneetown from the river to its current location. The second highest crest was at 56.35 feet May 6, 2011.

Some heavy rain is forecast through Thursday, but Bradley said in conferring with Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Steve Galt the rain should not significantly affect the flooding situation.