Kentucky: 16 dead in flash floods that followed heavy rain - BBC

Reuters

At least 16 people have died due to historic flash flooding caused by torrential rains in eastern Kentucky, the US state's governor has said.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that he expects the death toll to continue to rise.

President Biden declared the floods "a major disaster" on Friday and ordered federal aid to help with local recovery efforts.

More than 23,000 people are also without power in the state.

"We know some of the loss will include children, we may have even lost entire families," Mr Beshear said in a video posted online on Friday morning.

In an update, he said among the dead are an 81-year-old woman and two children.

The flash flooding came after heavy rains earlier this week. Hundreds of homes in Kentucky have been wiped out because of the floods, the governor said.

Some areas reported receiving more than eight inches, or 20 centimetres, of rain in a 24-hour period.

Flood warnings remained in effect as of Friday morning in eastern Kentucky, as well as for parts of Tennessee and West Virginia.

Rivers in the region are expected to crest throughout the weekend, and a risk of more dangerous flash flooding remained possible throughout Friday, the US National Weather Service said.

More rainfall is expected on Monday and Tuesday, Mr Beshear said, urging people to have a safety plan in place.

Representatives from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arrived Friday morning to assist local rescue efforts.

Mr Beshear said it's unclear yet exactly how many people are affected or missing. Some areas have been difficult to reach due to damaged portions on 28 state roadways.

In an interview with NBC News, Mr Beshear said this is "by far the worst flooding disaster" he has seen in his lifetime.

"Hundreds of Kentucky families are going to lose everything," he said.

Around 50 air rescue operations were conducted on Thursday, along with more than 100 boat rescues. Nearly 300 people have been rescued across the state, with search and rescue efforts ongoing.

"It's going to be a tough couple of days, it's going to be a long rebuild," Mr Beshear said.

The historic flooding comes as the state recovers from the deadliest tornados in its history, which killed more than 70 in December 2021.

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2022-07-29 15:57:24Z
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