- The death toll from flooding in Kentucky has risen to 26. Some families have lost almost everyone in their household due to the flooding, with many swept hundreds of yards from their homes.
- Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says the death toll from flooding has reached 16. More than 330 people have been rescued and more than 18,000 still without power.
- Parts of eastern Kentucky received 8-10.5 inches of rain in 48 hours, but rivers and streams were not expected to crest until Saturday.
The death toll in eastern Kentucky from widespread and catastrophic flooding has risen to 26.
“Our death toll is currently at 26, but I know of several additional bodies, and we know it’s going to grow with the level of water,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“We’ll be looking for bodies for weeks.” Many of them swept hundreds of yards, perhaps a quarter mile or more from where they had been lost. So far, only four children have been found, but I’m afraid there will be a couple more.
Beshear noted that cellphone service remained “incredibly spotty” and that multiple state police posts were taking calls from loved ones still searching for a missing loved one, so total numbers would “take some time to get a firm grasp” on.
The governor, in an emotional news conference on Saturday, told reporters that the deaths were spread across five counties, with some families losing almost everyone in their household.
COUSIN SAYS KENTUCKY CHILDREN DIE DURING HISTORIC FLOODING AFTER BEING SWEPT AWAY
Furthermore, he stated that the number of children among the dead is now believed to be four, rather than the six initially reported.
“The original two children who were reported to us… turned out to be adults,” he explained, noting that numbers could change at any time.
On Friday, teams backed by the National Guard continued to search and rescue. According to the governor, hundreds of people have already been rescued.
On Friday, Beshear viewed the devastation from a helicopter. His initial plans to tour the disaster area had been cancelled due to unsafe conditions at the airport where he was scheduled to land.
More than 330 people have sought refuge from the flooding, which has completely submerged homes and destroyed vehicles.
There are currently 15 active emergency shelters.
Mudslides also impacted roadways, and Beshear reported that at least 28 state roads were partially blocked.
On Saturday afternoon, more than 18,000 Kentucky residents were still without power.
The governor’s office also reported water outages, with systems in Jackson and Fleming-Neon out of service and more than 20 other systems operating with limited capacity.
THE DEATH TOLL FROM THE KENTUCKY FLOODING HAS REACHED 16 AND WILL ‘GET A LOT HIGHER,’ SAYS THE GOVERNOR.
Local states of emergency have been declared in at least 14 counties and three cities.
Parts of eastern Kentucky received 8-10.5 inches of rain in 48 hours, but some rivers and streams were not expected to crest until Saturday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Jackson predicted that the area would begin to dry out during the day on Saturday, but that the dry weather would end on Sunday afternoon.
According to scientists, extreme rain events have become more common as a result of climate change.
Beshear also predicted that it would be “really hot” in Kentucky next week.
“If you can hear us in Eastern Kentucky, we love you, and we’re going to make it,” he said previously.
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