Robin’s Nest Education Center Junior Counselor Dianna Carbajal moves a pair of cots out of harm’s way in response to flooding Thursday in the Marion day care center.
Provided
Heavy rains and drainage issues forced Marion’s Robin’s Nest Learning Center to close early Thursday, as several inches of water flooded classrooms and hallways in one of the center’s two buildings.
Staff members telephoned parents asking them to pick up their children as others worked to mitigate the water as quickly as possible.
Director Jena Parson said the center on South Virginia Avenue is in a part of Marion prone to flash flooding, but this instance is particularly severe, with several inches of water in some classrooms.
“Our facility is closed for the afternoon, possibly longer due to the entire building being flooded,” she said, adding that staff members were moving furniture and other items off of the floor as well as using a variety of towels, rags, mops and wet/dry vacuums to prevent the spread of water. A restoration company began assisting with clean-up Thursday afternoon.
“They’ll do whatever they can to try to get our building back open as soon as possible.”
Flood water soaks the carpet inside Robin’s Nest Learning Center in Marion Thursday.
Provided
Parson said she was unsure if the facility would be open for children on Friday and expressed frustration with the situation.
“We understand that there’s a flash flood and there are a lot of areas that are experiencing that, but we do have a drainage issue on Virginia Street that has caused this same issue before,” she said. “The flooding is coming in our walls and through our hallways.”
Parson indicated she left a telephone message for city administrators, but did not receive a return call.
City of Marion Chief of Staff Cody Moake said the problem stems from too much rain over a short period of time.
“From what I can tell, we had 4 to 5 inches of rain in about two hours,” he said. “Marion was built in a bowl of sorts and we get these issues from time to time. It’s affecting all parts of town and it is nothing too specific to that area.”
Moake said a number of city streets were closed because of the flooding and he indicated that Robin’s Nest’s property is close to a Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated floodway, which can overflow.
“This is a once-in-ten-year rain and it’s presenting some challenges,” he said.
An unidentified individual wades through water over the parking lot of Robin’s Nest Learning Center in Marion after several inches of rain fell Thursday morning.
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Parson said parents had to wade through standing water to pick up their children when the decision was made to close the facility.
“Health and safety is first and foremost which is why we called our families to get their children. We want our children to be safe,” she said. “Obviously, we are going to work to get the water out of the building as soon as possible so three is not any long-term damage.”
Photos: Scenes of devastation from Kentucky floods
Men ride in a boat along flooded Wolverine Road in Breathitt County, Ky., on Thursday, July 28, 2022. Heavy rains have caused flash flooding and mudslides as storms pound parts of central Appalachia. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says it’s some of the worst flooding in state history. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ryan C. Hermens
A Perry County school bus lies destroyed after being caught up in the floodwaters of Lost Creek in Ned, Ky., Friday, July 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
The Whitesburg Community Pool is filled with flood water in Whitesburg, Ky., on Friday, July 29, 2022. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ryan C. Hermens
People work to clear a house from a bridge near the Whitesburg Recycling Center in Letcher County, Ky., on Friday, July 29, 2022. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ryan C. Hermens
Volunteers and city workers try to reconnect the water supply to a nursing home in Elkhorn City, Ky., on Friday, July 29, 2022. The pipe, along with some of KY-197, washed away yesterday when the Russell Fork flooded. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ryan C. Hermens
Mud covers tennis courts near Whitesburg Middle School in Whitesburg, Ky., on Friday, July 29, 2022. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
Ryan C. Hermens
FILE – Homes and structures are flooded near Quicksand, Ky., Thursday, July 28, 2022. The same stubborn weather system caused intense downpours in St. Louis and Appalachia that led to devastating and in some cases deadly flooding. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP, File)
Ryan C. Hermens
FILE – Members of the Winchester, Ky., Fire Department walk inflatable boats across flood waters over a road in Jackson, Ky., to pick up people stranded by the floodwaters on Thursday, July 28, 2022. The same stubborn weather system caused intense downpours in St. Louis and Appalachia that led to devastating and in some cases deadly flooding. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
Timothy D. Easley
FILE – Homes and structures are flooded near Quicksand, Ky., Thursday, July 28, 2022. The same stubborn weather system caused intense downpours in St. Louis and Appalachia that led to devastating and in some cases deadly flooding. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP, File)
Ryan C. Hermens
Hindman, Ky., Mayor Tracy Neice operates a backhoe to clear debris from the road in downtown Hindman, Ky., Friday, July 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Muddy debris sits at the side of the road where it is being piled up for disposal in Ogden Hollar at Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Teresa Reynolds sits exhausted as members of her community clean the debris from their flood ravaged homes at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Volunteers from the local mennonite community carry tubfulls of debris from flood soaked houses for disposal at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Members of the local Mennonite community remove mud filled debris from homes following flooding at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Volunteers from the local mennonite community clean flood damaged property from a house at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Flood damaged photos and awards hang on the wall destroyed by floodwaters at the home of Teresa Reynolds at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Volunteers from the local Mennonite community clean flood damaged property from a house at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Volunteers from the local mennonite community clean flood damaged property from a house at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
The flood water line is visible on the exterior wall of Appalshop in Whitesburg, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. Appalshop is a media, arts, and education center created during the War on Poverty, in 1969. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
in this aerial photo, some homes in Breathitt County, Ky., are still surrounded by water on Saturday, July 30, 2022, after historic rains flooded many areas of Eastern Kentucky killing multiple people. A thin film of mud from the retreating waters covers many cars and homes. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
In this aerial photo, some homes in Breathitt County, Ky., are still surrounded by water on Saturday, July 30, 2022, after historic rains flooded many areas of Eastern Kentucky killing multiple people. A thin film of mud from the retreating waters covers many cars and homes. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
In this aerial photo, recovery has begun in many of the narrow hollers in Breathitt County, Ky., on Saturday, July 30, 2022, after historic rains flooded many areas of Eastern Kentucky killing more than two dozen people. A layer of mud from the retreating waters covers many cars and homes. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
In this aerial image, the river is still high around the homes in Breathitt County, Ky., on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Recovery has begun in many of the narrow hollers after historic rains flooded many areas of Eastern Kentucky killing more at least two dozen people. A layer of mud from the retreating waters covers many cars and homes. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
In this aerial image, some homes in Breathitt County, Ky., are still surrounded by water on Saturday, July 30, 2022, after historic rains flooded many areas of Eastern Kentucky killing more than two dozen people. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
In this aerial image, a car drives over a bridge in Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, July 30, 2022, after historic rains during the week flooded many areas of Kentucky killing at least two dozen people. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
In this aerial image, a home in Eastern Kentucky is washed onto a road on Saturday, July 30, 2022, after historic rains during the week flooded many areas of Kentucky killing multiple people. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
In this aerial photo residents of Whitesburg, Ky., are beginning to return to the small city in the eastern part of the state, Saturday, July 30, 2022. The area is beginning to asses the damage after historic rain brought catastrophic flooding to the area killing multiple people. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
Residents of Whitesburg, Ky., are beginning to return to the small city in the eastern part of the state, Saturday, July 30, 2022. The area is beginning to asses the damage after historic rain brought catastrophic flooding to the area killing more than two dozen people. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
The river is still high around the homes in Breathitt County, Ky., on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Recovery has begun in many of the narrow hollers after historic rains flooded many areas of Eastern Kentucky killing more than two dozen people. A layer of mud from the retreating waters covers many cars and homes. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Michael Clevenger
Paul Williams inspects the damage to a dobro guitar damaged by floodwaters from Troublesome Creek at the Applachian School of Luthery workshop and museum in Hindman, Ky., Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Stockpiles of wood lay destroyed from the floodwaters of Troublesome Creek at the Applachian School of Luthery workshop and museum in Hindman, Ky., Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
A car lays overturned in Troublesome Creek in downtown Hindman, Ky., Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Firefighters from the Middle Creek Fire and Rescue gather clothes for distruibution at the Knott County Sportsplex in Leburn, Ky., Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, center, answers question from residents of Knott County Ky., that have been displaced by floodwaters at the Knott County Sportsplex in Leburn, Ky., Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley
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