As Louisville recovers from one of the most devastating flood occurrences in its history, preparations continue for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival. While flooding along the Ohio River forced the cancellation of Thunder Over Louisville, municipal and festival organizers say they expect the remainder of the festival to carry on as scheduled.
Heavy rainfall earlier this month prompted rivers and creeks across the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys to rise, with the Ohio River cresting near Louisville at over 37 feet—ranking among the top 10 flood events in the city’s history. The floods damaged parks, roads, and public places, causing the city to undertake a multi-phase rehabilitation plan ahead of the Derby on May 3.
On Friday, Mayor Craig Greenberg held a press conference to detail the city’s flood response plan. The three-part method begins with debris removal from streets to facilitate emergency access, followed by cleaning mud and rubbish from public places including parks and parking lots. The final phase includes curbside debris pickup for households and businesses damaged by the storms.
“We have 22 days until the Kentucky Derby, when the eyes of the world will be on Louisville,” Greenberg said. “I am confident our plan will ensure the flood-damaged areas of our city are restored and beautiful again by the first Saturday in May.”
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The cleanup is likely to cost at least $5 million. The city believes that 87 percent of those costs will be reimbursed by FEMA. Louisville Metro Government has contracted AshBritt, a national disaster response business, to assist with the job with local departments such as Public Works and Parks & Recreation.
Kentucky Derby Festival officials said Friday they are continuing with festival activities, including events at Waterfront Park such as Fest-A-Ville, the Chow Wagon, the Great Balloon Glow, and the Balloon Race. The city’s miniMarathon and Marathon, which use courses that include flood-affected River Road, are also still scheduled.
“There will be a hyperfocus after conversations with the mayor, Metro Safe, and emergency management in the Waterfront Park area,” said Matt Gibson, KDF president and CEO. “Because Thunder was a week earlier, we’ve got about 11 days before we have to turn the lights on, so that gives them a great amount of time to really hyper-focus. Everybody keeps saying it’s going to be clean enough that you can eat off the pavement if you want it to. We don’t advocate that. We’ve got plenty of picnic tables and loads of excellent food down there, but we truly will stay day-to-day in contact and continual communication with our great partners.”
Gibson stated that backup measures are in place in case of unexpected delays or prolonged flood impacts but did not provide details. “We always have a plan B, and right now, we’re probably on Plan Z, and we might even go to double letters,” he remarked. “It’s one of the reasons that we say plans are never final until it’s over because we’re constantly having to roll with it and figure out what’s the best, safest, and most beneficial for our attendees and our partners and our sponsors.”
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The cancelation of Thunder Over Louisville marks a big disturbance to the annual festival, but local broadcasters are presenting alternate programming. WHAS-TV stated it will run a special daylong “Best of Thunder” program on Saturday, showcasing historic air shows and fireworks displays from the 1990s to today.
“While we’re deeply disappointed by the cancellation of Thunder Over Louisville, we knew it was still important to honor this cherished tradition and the spirit it brings to our community,” said WHAS-TV president and general manager Lisa Columbia. “Thunder has long been a symbol of celebration and resilience, and even in its absence this year, we felt a responsibility to show up for our viewers—especially as many in our area are now facing the impacts of devastating flooding.”
The station’s programming begins at noon and includes sponsor segments, historical highlights from Thunder’s past, and a telethon-style fundraiser for flood victims. Special guests will include community leaders and members of the Kentucky Derby Festival, including the Derby Festival Royal Court, who will help answer phones during the event. At 9:15 p.m., WHAS will re-air a former drone display, followed by a fireworks tribute at 9:30 p.m.
Local officials compared the latest flood to the 1997 storm, however enhancements to the city’s flood prevention systems have restricted the level of damage.
“Typically, this would have been an event where we would have had hundreds if not thousands of houses flooded,” said Brian Bingham, chief operations officer of the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District. “So, we are very proud of what we’ve done and how we have used the community’s resources.”
Cleanup activities are also underway in other areas along the Ohio River, including Cincinnati. Communities further south along the Mississippi River continue to monitor rising water levels, with some areas anticipated to reach moderate or catastrophic flood conditions in the coming days.
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This article appears in Apr 11-24, 2025.
