1978 - The Evacuation of Paintsville
The Paintsville Herald called it "Exodus '78 -- Three days that will be remembered." Whatever history will name it, it was one of the largest (and most orderly) evacuations in the history of Kentucky. Forget that the crisis that caused it failed to materialize into a full-blown disaster. It was a tough and courageous decision made by Paintsville Mayor James Trimble, Civil Defense Director Jim Tom Newman and the District. U. S. Corps of Engineers commander Colonel George Bicher.
What caused the necessity for the decision was nearly eight inches of rain in a 36 hour period, much of which backed up behind a temporary coffer dam at the site of the new Paintsville Dam. The coffer dam was built to keep the actual, permanent, dam site dry while it was under construction. As the water level behind the coffer dam continued to rise to levels not imagined in the dam's design, officials noted a "seepage" of water through the coffer dam on the down stream side. If the seepage continued and began to seriously erode the earthen coffer dam those living down stream, including Staffordsville and Paintsville, would be in grave peril.
Officials gathered on the call of Jim Tom Newman at Noon Friday, December 8, 1978. Newman and his deputy director William C. Martin had studied years of statistics compiled by Newman. They consulted the Corps' Colonel Bicher and his deputy, Lt. Col. Chip Wanner who, in turn, were consulting the dam's contractors and designers.
The group met again at 6:00 P. M., Friday and throughout the night. A detailed evacuation plan had been developed should it be needed. It was re-drafted and refined during the night. Meanwhile, U. S. Corps of Engineers personnel monitored the rising water behind the coffer dam and the continuing seepage.
At 8:58 A. M. Saturday morning, December 9, the water at the coffer dam reached almost precisely the predetermined level - 675 feet above sea level - which the officials had agreed upon as the critical level for an evacuation. The seepage continued!
Wanner, Mayor Trimble and Newman announced the evacuation on Radio Station WSIP and specific instructions were given to residents in a strip of Johnson County stretching from Staffordsville to Thelma, including all of Paintsville.
Cars and trucks began leaving Paintsville within minutes. Some drove north toward Ashland. Many drove south to Prestonsburg and Pikeville. In spite of the fact that no one knew when they would be permitted to return to their homes or in what condition they would find them, assuming they could find them at all, there was no panic. Indeed, there had even been a few humorous episodes.
One middle aged couple in Stafford Addition heard the order to evacuate and hurriedly put some clothes and a few necessities in their car, along with some nonperishable food. They jumped in the car and drove out of town toward Prestonsburg. A few miles down the road, the woman suddenly yelled "Stop!" They had left her elderly mother in an upstairs bedroom of their house. They quickly retraced their steps, placed the dear lady in the car and once again headed for Prestonsburg.
Throughout Saturday and Saturday night officials checked and rechecked the coffer dam and the water level. Slowly, by Sunday afternoon, it appeared that the water behind the dam was receding. At 5:00 P. M., it was announced that the residents of the evacuated area could return home.
It had been a harrowing experience for all concerned, but for none more so than those charged with making the potentially life or death decisions for nearly 10,000 people. For them, it had been "their finest hour."
