At Least 16 People Confirmed Dead in Kentucky After Historic Flooding Event

Posted: July 29, 2022 2:22 pm

The death toll continues to rise after floodwaters rushed through many rural communities in eastern Kentucky on late Wednesday and early Thursday. According to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, at least 16 people have been confirmed dead with authorities expecting this number to likely double in the coming days.

Rain Still Coming Down in Parts of Kentucky

Flood watches and warnings are still in effect throughout much of the eastern half of the state after the historic flooding event. In addition to the 16 fatalities, Beshear confirmed on Friday morning that over 300 people have been displaced by the flooding. The state is currently housing these displaced residents at various state parks.

The fatalities have been confirmed across four counties, pointing to the widespread devastation of the event. There have been 11 deaths confirmed in Knott County, two in Letcher County, two in Clay County, and one in Perry County. At least two children are among the fatalities.

Federal and State Aid Triggered

President Joe Biden took action to approve a disaster declaration and send federal aid to assist in the recovery efforts. In addition, Beshear noted that the Kentucky State Police and the National Guard troops from Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia are working through the night to rescue stranded residents. The governor said that nearly 300 people have already been rescued from the floodwaters.

With so many roads washed out, it has been challenging for rescuers to reach the stranded residents. Water is still flowing through the region, making it unsafe for search and rescue personnel. Washed out bridges is another issue complicating the effort.

The flooding is also making it difficult for utility crews to restore power to the thousands that are still in the dark. As of Friday morning, over 23,000 customers were still without power in the commonwealth.

Beshear said that many homes were completely swept off their foundations. The ongoing rain over the last several weeks made the region vulnerable to flooding as creeks and grounds could not take on any additional moisture once the heavy rain started late Wednesday.

Many residents were completely caught off guard by the extreme weather because the flooding came on during the middle of the night. Beshear said that people are reporting waking up to their homes being swept away.

North Fork Kentucky River Crests

A new record was set when the North Fork Kentucky River gauge crested at about 2:30 am ET on Friday. The river crested at 43.47 feet, breaking the previous record of 43.10 feet that goes back to 1939. While water levels are still under an official major flood stage designation, the water is expected to decrease slowly over the next 48 hours. Most forecasts have the river expected to drop to moderate flood stage by this evening and below flood levels by Saturday night.

This part of the river is located in Jackson, Kentucky, downstream from the region that was hit the hardest with the heavy rain.

Looking to the Forecast

Unfortunately for the water-logged region, forecasters are predicting more rain on Friday and later this weekend. According to the Weather Prediction Center, eastern Kentucky has a slight to moderate risk of flash flooding through the evening hours. The area could see another 1 to 3 inches of rain by the time that the sun sets on Friday.

While the region will get a break from the wet weather on Saturday, more storms are in the forecast for Sunday and into Monday. These storms will bring another threat of flash flooding.

The flooding event in Kentucky came just two days after historic rains slammed into the St. Louis area, killing one person. Scientists are blaming the growing impacts of climate change on the increasing amount of extreme weather events around the planet.

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