Lee Bottom Flood Update

Here you can see the flooding around the field.
Photo - Mark Powers

Many of you know Lee Bottom lies beside the Ohio River and a few of you knew the Ohio recently flooded. For those who've been asking and those who didn't know to ask, this is an update on how it affected us.

Most important to this conversation is the knowledge no flood on record has ever flooded the airport. Although the "37 flood" would have put water in some of the land near the hill the runway would have still been ok. Those of you familiar with the field know there is a small county road that runs down one side of the runway.  This bit of chip seal human intervention happens to divide the part of the bottom that floods from that which does not. Therefore, the primary question has been answered - the airport did not flood, the runway is fine, and it is open.

Those of you who know more of our story know we also have a few pieces of property between the road and the river where it does flood. Although we came close to a very bad week (6-8" close), in the end we had one building with a foot and a half of water in it. This was the shop where most of stuff was moved after the tornado.

This is the driveway into "the Nut Farm" across the road.
I waded in after the water was already going down
to take photos.

Our friend Mike Grecco saved the day by helping us get everything up on tables, or move elsewhere, before the water rose. We spent a day and a half getting ready and in the end it worked out pretty well, all things considered.

The water had already gone down a foot to a
foot and a half when I took this.

Although we have one building we are still trying to get dry, we have been able to get the mud out and start the cleaning process. This also jump started our organization efforts to get everything sorted so that we can have an auction to sell off everything that isn't bolted down or absolutely necessary to the operation. We had been wanting to reduce the amount of "stuff" and this forced us into it. Hopefully some of you will come to whatever kind of sale we have and buy it all and leave us with a much more manageable life.

As for that gigantic bonfire we were planning to have, it washed away.  There were a few years worth of trees in that pile and it moved on in the peak hour of the flood.  One less inch and it would likely have stayed.  Oh well...



NOTE: If any of you remember the tram that was the old Cincinnati Zoo tram, it needs a new home. Know any non-profit that would like it or someone interested in buying it to restore?