FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Officials in Franklin County and the City of Frankfort came together on Saturday to declare a joint state of emergency as the community braces for flood waters to continue rising.

“Right now, we’re in the safety phase where we want to make everybody aware and see what’s going to happen. And then afterward, there will be a lot of work to come in the coming weeks to make sure that we get everybody back on their feet,” said Blair Hecker, communications manager for the City of Frankfort. “This flooding is not something we’re dealing with just right here downtown in the city. We are dealing with it across our entire community.”

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With the Kentucky River running through Franklin County, those in the area are no strangers to floods.

The river’s water levels are expected to crest at 45 feet by Monday. This is familiar to many who were around the area nearly 30 years ago.

Hecker said, “This is projected to be the fourth highest historic flood and is on par with the flood of 1997.”

City officials took precautionary steps to help protect homes and businesses, like Rebecca Ruth Chocolates, that are located along the river by installing flood walls. Those are something Hecker (who lived in Frankfort at the time) said were not in place during the 1997 flood and could have been helpful.

Flood walls were also installed behind Rebecca Ruth Chocolates.

Other riverside businesses also prepared for the flood. Bourbon on Main employees were seen moving their inventory up from the basement to higher ground.

WesBanco Bank had workers pumping water out of its underground parking garage, trying to get ahead of the impending high water levels.

For those in the area every day though, the outpouring of support is just one example of how this community that seems big on a map, comes together for each other when they need it the most.

“You think Frankfort being the capital city of Kentucky, it’s just a small community,” said Rebecca Ruth employee, Leslie Cheatham, “Yes, granted, we’ve got state government that comes in during the day. But, you know, they go all go back to their homes or whatever. So, the community is more on the smaller side, and they do come together. There’s going to be a lot of cleanup, no doubt.”

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