COVINGTON, Ky. -- A water main break at the intersection of Church and 36th streets shut down traffic in Latonia and flooded several nearby homes Monday evening.
A Covington city spokeswoman said Tuesday homeowners won't face the cleanup effort alone.
While city employees and contractors work to repair the damage, Lincoln Avenue resident Matt Chisenhall said he and his neighbors will need to find other places to stay.
Chisenhall was at work when a neighbor called him to tell him about the break, he said. He returned home to find his basement submerged in several feet of water and all of its contents, including the flooring, drywall, hot water heater and furnace, potentially ruined.
"I was flabbergasted when I walked down the steps and couldn’t get to the bottom," he said.
The flooding affected three nearby neighbors, he said. The city of Covington shut off power to their homes, and they'll be staying overnight with friends and family members.
Chisenhall said he was struggling to find a way to get the water out of his basement. According to him, neither his insurance company, the fire department or the water company could pump it out.
"We just hope that the city of Covington or the water department or someone steps up to help us with this, because it’s a lot to replace all at one time," he said.
Monica Beavers, Covington spokeswoman, said the Northern Kentucky Water District is responsible for cleaning homes and will pay for pods to store salvageable belongings for those affected by the flooding.
Homeowners have to remove all debris from their homes. Dumpsters will be provided.
Once the debris is out, Jolly Property Rescue will sanitize the homes, Beavers said.
Work to repave the road should start this weekend and take one or two weeks, she said. The timeline depends on the weather.
Homeowners can contact Tom Youtsey with Bilz Insurance at 859-655-2769 or Jason Kidd with Jolly Property Rescue at 859-801-8472.
For safety concerns, homeowners should contact the water district's Account Services Department at 859-578-9898.
