Water, Water Everywhere
Nearly 24 inches of rain fell on the Tri-State which encompasses parts of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky in April and May of 2011. Besides the Ohio and Wabash rivers rising out of their banks, the Mississippi River also was maxed-out with water exacerbating the problem by backing up the swollen rivers. Farmers were more than a month behind in getting their crops in the ground and the area was declared a disaster area. There was water everywhere.
Waterworks Road effectively shuts off a travel link between Kentucky and Evansville as the Ohio River continues to rise in March. The Tri-State received a record amount of rain during 2011.
Bob Miller unloads his boat from his trailer into the flooded waters of the Ohio River Friday afternoon. He then used the boat to tow floating trees – that he lassoed with his rope – away from his property and back into the main channel of the river.
The confluence of the Wabash River, left, and the Ohio River, right, covers miles of farmland and is backing up water upriver from both watery thoroughfares.
A herd of more than 40 deer congregate on one of the few high points in Posey County's Point Township Wednesday afternoon. Dept. of Natural Resources officers said herds of nearly 200 deer had been spotted swimming in the area in search of dry ground.
Nancy Hasting and a customer discuss the possibility of flooding at her family's business, Hasting Plants in Mount Vernon, Ind., Friday morning. Her worries were confirmed as her business was forced to close for more than a month until the water receded back into the Ohio and Wabash rivers' banks.
US Hwy 60 just west of Hallsville, Ky., is covered by the muddy waters of the rising Ohio River.
Shawn Loehr, with the help of his horse, Bay, tries to persuade an ornery cow onto drier ground at his father, Dwayne Loehr's place near Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area Monday morning. The father and son compete in team roping events, but this was the first time they'd ever had to rescue their animals from the rapidly rising waters of the Ohio River.
Locals offer boat rides for whoever needs them to allow residents of Point Township, Ind., to get a good meal at the Church of the Nazarene. The water quit rising the next day and life slowly began to feel more normal for the stout-hearted residents.
A coal barge eases down the Ohio River just beneath the Twin Bridges which span the flood-swollen waters between Kentucky and Indiana.
"We're havin' a pretty good time even though we're stuck out here," Debbie Ricketts, left, said as she and her Point Township neighbors, Bill, center, and Hank Cox basked in the sun on their old grain bin cement foundation they dubbed "Gilligan's Island." The Ohio and Wabash rivers continued to rise – albeit more slowly – throughout the day. The year was the wettest on record.