BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
BUFFALO HORN — When the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 12 addressed a major slip recently, they left behind a trail of broken promises and mounting frustrations for Buffalo Horn resident Lester Crum. After assurances of a driveway replacement, Crum grapples with an increasingly precarious living situation. His home is potentially unstable, his driveway is completely gone, and a propane company refuses winter fuel delivery over concerns about the safety of an alternate driveway.
“The state told me they would put my driveway back, but then they didn’t,” Crum said. “They told the workers that since I already had another driveway out there, they wouldn’t fool with this driveway. I had my big propane tanks paid for, and the company wouldn’t bring them because they’re afraid of the other driveway. They’re afraid it will slip off where it’s soft.”
Crum is a 63-year-old retired carpenter who is confined to an oxygen tank. Since his wife passed away, he and his two daughters have lived in his home on the west side of state Route 292. His property troubles stem from water drainage issues from a ditch adjacent to the road.
The predicament began after the extensive floods of March 2021, where subsequent rainfall caused water from the ditch to run across the state road, flooding Crum’s property.
Crum’s distress escalated in early 2022 when his driveway and a sizable chunk of his yard gave way only inches from the foundation of his home. Since March 2022, his barn has disappeared over the hill in a landslide.
The state transportation cabinet came out “about three months ago” and worked on the ditch line and drains. They also removed dirt, rock and guardrail that slid onto Crum’s property. In doing that work, the transportation cabinet created a “high wall” instead of Crum’s former gentle slope and driveway.
Meanwhile, property damage from water drainage continues. Even after the state repaired the drains, water remains in the ditch above the state road and continuously seeps through the soil to Crum’s property. Crum believes the water is coming from a water line in the ditch.
“The road workers dug a hole in the ditch and found the city line, and they busted it,” explained Crum. “They got the water company to come and turn the water off. While the water was off, there wasn’t any water in the ditch line. As soon as they turned the water back on, it filled up with water again. The highway department came out and tested the water and said it had chlorine in it.”
With this information, Crum visited the Martin County Water District office in Inez.
“The water company said the chlorine was because the water was coming over gravel,” stated Crum, adding that the water district did not test the water. “I talked to all of them over there. I went over to the water company and told them about it.”
Crum said water district personnel indicated they would file an insurance claim.
“And I ain’t heard nothing about it,” he added. “I went and asked them about it again, and still nothing.”
Crum pointed to damage that appeared recently on his roof.
“I don’t want to work on my house until I get this slip fixed – to see if my house slips off,” said Crum. “My foundation is going.”
Neighbors corroborated Crum’s claims, affirming the nonexistence of water drainage concerns before the March 2021 floods.
Crum also reached out to county officials about the continued water drainage, but they have yet to respond.
