Flash flooding caused by torrential rain has killed at least three people in eastern Kentucky and left some residents stranded on rooftops and in trees, the southeastern U.S. state’s governor said Thursday.
“We are witnessing one of the worst and most devastating flooding events in Kentucky history,” Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters.
The governor said at least three flood-related deaths have been confirmed so far, including an 81-year-old woman in Perry County, and he expects “double-digit deaths.”
“There are a lot of people in eastern Kentucky on rooftops waiting to be rescued,” Beshear said. “We even have some people in trees awaiting rescue.”
Many roads resembled rivers, shredded cars littered the landscape, and mud-brown floodwaters sloshed against the roofs of low-lying homes in the state’s Appalachian region.
Some areas reported more than 20 centimeters of rain in 24 hours.
The North Fork of the Kentucky River near Whitesburg, which is usually a foot or two deep at this time of year, rose to a staggering 20 feet, well above its previous record of 14.7 feet.
The governor said a state of emergency had been declared in half a dozen counties and four National Guard helicopters were deployed to help with the rescue effort.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife had used Zodiac boats to conduct water rescues.
“There are a lot of people out there who need help,” Beshear said. “And we’re doing our best to reach each and every one of them.
“The situation at the moment is difficult,” he added.
“Hundreds will lose their homes and this will be another event where it will probably take years, not months, for many families to rebuild and recover,” he said.
Beshear said around 25,000 homes across the country were without power and many were without water.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the flooding.
Jean-Pierre said Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will travel to Kentucky on Friday and report to the president.
#dead #devastating #floods #Kentucky #governor
