Flooding? (Prospect, Crestwood: insurance, lender, house)

[Croce]

I guess I'm a worrywart but am concerned with flooding issues. Maps indicate streams and rivers basically all over the place. It also seems to rain a lot. I consulted the flood plain maps, but they are a little short on detail.

When I look up news articles on flooding I see a lot of articles about flooding and lawsuits. Oldham County was involved in litigation by homeowners over flooding and the whole thing seems to be an issue. There are pictures from less then 10 years ago that show some of the expressways totally covered by flood water.

Prospect and Crestwood are two of the places we really like that appear within commuting distance of the airport. Prospect seems very close to the river and concerns me. Do you think this issue has merit or am I just being paranoid? Any suggestions would be accepted with gratitude.

[tomocox]

First of all, the Oldham Co legal issues come from poor planning and affect only a very limited number of homes. Prospect itself is on a high plain and well above the 1937 flood benchmarks. Now, are there other areas of Oldham that can and do flood? Yes, there are, but when you come house hunting, talk to the old-timers living near the places you specifically like. For the most part, if the flood water didn't get into a place in 1997, it is probably a safe place.

[Off Topic]

I've lived in Jefferson County for 50 years and except for one time (1983, when a pump station malfunctioned and caused a real problem in southwest Jefferson County), flooding has never been an issue for the overwhelming majority of people here. If a house is in a flood plain, then your lender will require you to carry flood insurance, which is a little expensive.

If it worries you, just make sure you don't buy a home in a flood plain. But I don't think this is a real problem.