At least 16 people have died amid unprecedented flooding that has devastated eastern Kentucky, where the death toll is expected to rise as rain continues to soak the region.
“The difficult news is that there have now been 16 fatalities, and people that will be much higher,” Governor Andy Beshear said at a morning news conference. He confirmed that there were also children among the victims.
Powerful floods completely washed away cities and destroyed homes and roads in rural Appalachiawhere many small communities will struggle to recover from such sweeping damage.
Tremendous amounts of water flooded homes and businesses across the region, including parts of Virginia and southern West Virginia, where storms have dropped several inches of rain.
Rescue teams supported by the National Guard have flocked to the worst affected areas, in helicopters and boats, to retrieve those trapped by flooding. But despite their best efforts, dangerous conditions and continued rainfall have hampered rescue missions and made it nearly impossible to know how many people are still missing.
“We have a lot of people who need help that we can’t reach right now,” Beshear said.
Emergency services were able to perform nearly 50 more aerial rescues and hundreds of water rescues on Thursday, but many more will be needed, the governor said.
“This is not only an ongoing disaster, but also an ongoing search and rescue operation. The water won’t rise until tomorrow in some areas,” Beshear said.
More than 200 Kentucky residents have moved to various shelters and more than 33,000 people are still without power Friday morning. On Thursday, residents climbed to the tops of their roofs to be rescued. According to the governor, hundreds of residents have lost everything they have.
There may be some relief from Friday evening into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, but it won’t last long.
The NWS in Jackson tweeted that the area would be given a “decent break” starting Friday night.
More rain and storms are expected from Sunday to Tuesday, with possible heavy rain on Sunday and Monday.
Officials predict the damage caused by the floods will take more than a year to fully rebuild. President Joe Biden has declared a federal disaster to send aid money to more than a dozen counties in Kentucky.
FEMA has also sent rescue personnel to assist in the state’s rescue efforts.
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