The massive flooding from the Mississippi River that has left thousands homeless has hit locally, slowing down repair work on the elevator at the Park Avenue Apartments.

A water leak in the early hours of Monday shorted out the circuitry of the elevator at the seven-floor senior citizen complex that is home to approximately 50 people.

“The pipe to the hot water tank broke,” according to Barbara Click, who works in the rental office of the building that is managed by the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization.

Click also has an apartment there.

“It went to the lowest (point) and went down in the elevator,” she said. “The parts were to be shipped out from Memphis.”

However, with record flooding there the company has had to find a different source for the needed equipment.

“They think they will be in in the morning to install the new electrical (unit),” Click said. “It is not like the company is not trying to get it fixed. It is not like it is an elevator we don’t take care of.”

Residents were notified of the situation by letter and told to contact the office if anything was needed. The majority of them are able to use the stairways in the building that was once known as the Marting Hotel, Click said.

“It is not like we are ignoring it,” Click said. “As soon as it happened, the people who maintained it were here. They couldn’t get the parts.”