With the Kentucky River flooding to record-breaking levels on Sunday, the Capital City is preparing for the worst.

Nearly nonstop rainfall for multiple days brought the river to nearly 50 feet, with an expected crest at 49.5 feet at 8 a.m. Monday, according to National Weather Service meteorologists. Officials say those levels could continue to rise as more rainfall is expected throughout Sunday.

That would mark the highest level on record by more than a foot, surpassing the record crest of 48.47 feet from December 10, 1978.

Frankfort resident Daniel Cox called it a “once-in-a-generation storm” as he overlooked the rising river on War Mother’s Memorial Bridge in downtown Frankfort Sunday afternoon.

“It is something just so bad, I had to come and see it for myself,” Cox said.

He and Eileen Ishmael have lived in Frankfort for 10 years.

“I have never seen anything like this, and it is only expected to get worse,” she said.

Both said they were hopeful for government support in the aftermath at both state and local levels.

The projected crest level has increased twice in the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service. Around 10 p.m. Saturday evening, the river was predicted crest at 47 feet on Monday, which was an increase from the previous prediction of 45 feet issued earlier Saturday.

On Saturday morning, the service issued an advisory extending a flood warning for the Kentucky River at Frankfort until further notice.

Despite this, dozens of people strolled up and down Frankfort’s Main Street taking photos and videos of the river as it rose higher. Some rode around in their vehicles with the windows down with long-lens cameras taking photos.

Paula Greene was taking photos on Ann Street near Taylor Hoover Dentistry, where she has worked for six years. She came to the office Sunday to cancel appointments for Monday and Tuesday.

The bottom levels of the parking garage she uses were flooded. It was the worst she had ever seen.

“They say it will be on Main Street,” she said. “We don’t know how much damage we will get and when we will reopen if there is damage.”

She said she and other staff were planning to move equipment and records to higher ground.

Outside of Hoggy’s Ice Cream on St. Clair and Main Streets, people were lining the doors of the popular shop with sandbags and tarps.

Crissy Hogsten, the co-owner of the store, had just began moving relocating kitchen equipment to higher ground Sunday morning.

As levels continued to rise, Hogsten made the sudden decision to save the shop’s equipment — including a 700-pound dipping cabinet that holds their ice cream.

The cabinet was jacked up on cinder blocks as high as it could go Sunday afternoon.

“If we were to lose that — we would be out of business,” she said. “We are worried about the businesses and residents down here. We can replace this stuff.”

In addition to the dipping cabinet, all of their tables and supplies were moved upstairs.

As of Sunday morning, the Frankfort Plant Board had shut down their treatment plant and asked residents to conserve water. Water levels rose to a level that could impact the electrical equipment used to pump water into the river.

“We are asking all customers to ration their water usage and limit to only essential usage,” the post read. “The water storage tanks are currently full and with your help to conserve water usage, the existing water stored can serve our community longer.”

Around 11 a.m. Sunday, Gov. Andy Beshear said Frankfort had been heavily impacted by the floods, with many homes being evacuated.

Michael Mueller, Franklin County’s judge executive, warned people living in low-lying areas to evacuate calling the flood, “unprecedented.”

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