Veterans’ transport van damaged in Clay City flooding

Heavy rains, then snow brought the Red River out of its banks Thursday. Clay City was hardest hit by the flooding.

While no homes were damaged, a couple of vehicles were and it could be a service that suffers the most from the high waters.

Now that the Red River has started to recede, you can see what’s left behind. Fences in the area are lined with debris. But the high waters left their mark elsewhere. Inside of the van the AMVETs use to transport veterans to their medical appointments, they’ve found mud. They say where there’s mud, there’s been water.

Post 67 members Jeffrey Townsend and Henry Andrews are being positive about recent high waters but the reality is, the post’s van isn’t starting up.

"Oh yes, the water was up into the engine, looks like from here the way the water line is out there right now,” said Andrews.

"Well you could tell where it got up on the brake pedal, the gas pedal but I don’t think it got up into the electrical system or anything,” said Townsend.

The van is used to transport the veterans and it’s used often.

"It makes trips into Lexington and everywhere he has to go for veterans,” said Andrews.

Elsewhere in Clay City, waters continue to back off, uncovering roadways. Even an SUV, up to its hood an afternoon ago sits frozen to the ground.

The groans of the ice high waters left behind echo the sentiments of an area hit hard by Winter’s might.

"Couldn’t even get out yesterday, but with what I’ve seen this morning, I don’t think I’ve seen it this high before,” said Tony Miller, a Clay City resident.

As far as the van goes, the men say they’ll try to start it up again in a couple days. The van was a donation they received a couple years ago.