By Railfan & Railroad Staff

NEW HAVEN, Ky. — Volunteers at the Kentucky Railway Museum are cleaning up after its facility was impacted by the flooding that inundated parts of eastern Kentucky earlier this week. 

Early Tuesday morning, water began to flood into the museum’s lower storage building at New Haven and volunteers say it is likely there will be interior damage. No equipment was impacted by the floodwaters because it was moved out of harm’s way prior to the water flooding the property. Images shared on social media show that volunteers were also able to get artifacts and other supplies up off the floor before the water arrived. Officials said it also appeared that some track was damaged in the floodwaters. On Tuesday, after the water receded, volunteers arrived to start the cleanup process. 

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that the record-breaking flooding across eastern Kentucky was brought on by days of rain in the area. “This is going to be one that will go into the record books,” said Michael Dosset, head of Kentucky Emergency Management.  

Floodwaters also impacted the community of Irvine, home to the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. While KSHC property was not impacted directly by the floodwater, it is raising money to help its community. 

Donations are being accepted online for those interested in helping the Kentucky Railway Museum with the post-flood cleanup.

The Kentucky Railway Museum was founded in 1954 and has a number of pieces of historic equipment, most notably, Louisville & Nashville 4-6-2 152.