America’s oldest continuously operating distillery is temporarily closed because of major flooding in Kentucky this week, caused by days of heavy downpours that have caused the Kentucky, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers to surge.
The Buffalo Trace Distillery is located along the banks of the Kentucky River in Frankfort.
On Monday, the river crested at 48.2 feet, the second highest in Frankfort’s history.
The highest flooding on record for the Frankfort Lock is 48.47 feet in 1978.
A video shared by Buffalo Trace on Sunday showed the water around the historic buildings of the distillery property.
“As of today, Buffalo Trace Distillery is closed and will not be accessible to either consumers or team members,” distillery staff wrote on Facebook. “We will be closed through Thursday, April 10th, at a minimum.”
The team said they are unsure of the exact impact the flooding will have on the distillery until they can assess the facilities.
Buffalo Trace issued a statement: “Our thoughts are with the local community and all those impacted by this natural disaster.”
Residents of Frankfort were placed under a mandatory curfew Sunday due to the Kentucky River flooding.
Some communities in Kentucky saw more than 15 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
The flooding claimed the life of a 9-year-old boy swept away by floodwaters in Frankfort.
The Kentucky and Ohio rivers are forecast to crest in dozens of locations in the coming week before the surge of water begins moving south, eventually flowing into the Mississippi River, where major river flooding is forecast in the next two weeks.