Lawrence Street closed due to high water

Published 12:00 am Friday, November 21, 2003

The rain may have stopped, but the water keeps rising.

At least one local road has been temporarily closed because of flooding. Lawrence Street in Ironton was closed at approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday and will not be reopened for 24 to 48 hours depending on when the Ohio River crests, according to Mike Pemberton, Ironton's street/flood/sanitation superintendent.

The street was blocked off right past Eighth Street next to Moulton Field where the road goes underneath U.S. 52. At least six inches of standing water covered the street.

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Several vehicles attempted to drive through it but were forced to turn around. The escape route that connects the other side of the road to U.S. 52 was opened, Pemberton said.

The Ohio River continues to rise. Normally, the river levels measure approximately 32 feet based on the city's Storms Creek gauge.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the river measured at 41.8 feet and continued to rise by two or three tenths each hour, Pemberton said.

Other areas that have been hit hard by the recent rains include Burlington and Pedro.

In Burlington, numerous yards along County Road 1 were submerged by several inches of water.