Kentucky's famed Lost River Cave endures 60-feet of water during historic flooding
In a span of about four days, the site received 10 inches of rain. Officials noted that this was nearly half of the 25 inches of rainfall they have seen so far this year.
Historic flooding inundates Lost River Cave in Kentucky
Lost River Cave, a popular local and tourist attraction near Bowling Green, Kentucky, was slammed by recent storms over the Bluegrass State. Lost River Cave CEO Justin Jennings explains the extent of the storm damage and clean-up efforts.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Lost River Cave, a popular attraction near Bowling Green, Kentucky, was slammed by recent storms that hit the Bluegrass State.
The park experienced the biggest flooding event in the organization’s history, resulting in 60 feet of floodwater at the mouth of their namesake cave, according to Lost River Cave officials.
In a span of about four days, between April 2 and 6, the site received 10 inches of rain. Officials noted that this was nearly half of the 25 inches of rainfall they had seen so far this year.
Lost River Cave CEO Justin Jennings stands at the waterline of the recent floods over the weekend.
(Lost River Cave / FOX Weather)
So much rainfall in a short period of time caused the mouth of the cave to be inundated with about 60 feet of floodwater.
Lost River Cave CEO Justin Jennings noted that the park typically sees rainwater flowing into it, as it sits at the bottom of a 55-square-mile watershed.
However, due to the historic amount of rainfall last week, the park saw more floodwater than usual.
Jennings noted that another reason for the exceptionally high floodwater levels at the park is a recent development in the Bowling Green area.
With more concrete replacing wooded or grassy areas, rainwater cannot be absorbed as well and ends up running down the watershed and into Lost River.
Photo shared on Monday, showing the silt left behind after the water has begun to recede.
(Lost River Cave / FOX Weather)
"When a tree is growing, it's using that water through transpiration pull and taking that out of the soil," Jennings said. "When you take that stuff out, there's an excess of water that all comes to us."
He added that, as the water remains on the property, it is depositing more silt across the park. This means that his team will have a lot to clean up and repair as the floodwater recedes over the next couple of weeks.
To support recovery efforts at Lost River Cave, be sure to check out their website and their Facebook page.