OWEN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Natalie Spoonamore and her three toddlers are settling into a new home in Owen County, one year after historic flooding displaced her family and devastated the community.
Last April, Owen County experienced its worst flooding since 1997. The rising waters forced Spoonamore to make a quick decision to evacuate.
"It was coming over the road and I was like okay we have to go, you know, we have to get out," Spoonamore said.
Speaking days after the flood last year, Spoonamore described the devastation.
"It's absolutely horrifying," Spoonamore said.
After losing her home, Spoonamore drove her family to a relief hub in Frankfort.
"I just loaded us up and I drove to Frankfort, and the Capital Plaza, you know, because we pass it when we go to the grocery sometimes and I was like okay this is where we're staying," Spoonamore said.
She stayed at the Capital Plaza Hotel for three months. During that time, the uncertainty weighed heavily on her.
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"I was so scared with the kids I'm like, I don't know where I'm gonna go, what I'm gonna do, how long am I going to be displaced, will I ever find a house again?" Spoonamore said.
After leaving the hotel, Spoonamore spent seven months living in a camper at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton. In January, she moved into a new house back in Owen County, located 15 minutes from the area that flooded last year.
"So happy to be home, it's just a big relief," Spoonamore said.
Spoonamore praised the Owen County community for its recovery efforts following the flood. She also shared her plan if the area ever floods again.
"I'm gonna help anybody who I can, who definitely needs that help because I know how it was for me and my family," Spoonamore said.
