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Louisville aims to restore city's waterfront by Derby Day

Kris Searcy and her dog, Nash, walk through flood waters on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Jon Cherry/AP
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FR171965 AP
Kris Searcy and her dog, Nash, walk through flood waters on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)

While some far western Kentucky communities are still waiting for floodwaters to reach their peak, in the central part of the state, residents and city leaders are grappling with the cleanup job ahead.

"Now that the river has crested, the hard part begins — and that's the cleanup," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said late last week.

That hard work began in earnest over the weekend with a citywide cleanup plan going into effect. Crews have started work all along the Ohio River, clearing roadways for emergency access and removing debris, trash, and mud from parks, sidewalks, and parking lots.

Over 300 volunteers also joined the effort Saturday morning at Waterfront Park, and Greenberg said there's a goal when it comes to the timeline.

"This is not gonna be an easy process, but our expectation is that our parks, roadways, and other public spaces, including Waterfront Park, are going to be restored in their original condition, bright, shiny, and clean in time for the Kentucky Derby," he said.

That's just under three weeks away.