Catastrophic Kentucky Flood Turns Deadly: 8 People Dead, Causing a State of Emergency

Late Wednesday until early on Thursday, there was a deluge of rain that triggered flash flooding in eastern Kentucky.

This flooding resulted in mudslides, washed away homes and roads, and sparked a flash flood emergency.

The storm occurred only days after another terrible flood devastated the St. Louis region, producing more than 10 inches of rain over 24 hours in the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

On Thursday, torrential rains throughout southern Kentucky sparked what the governor called "one of the worst, most disastrous flooding catastrophes" in state history, resulting in at least eight fatalities and the rescue of dozens from roofs.

Kentucky flooding

(Photo : LEANDRO LOZADA/AFP via Getty Images)

Governor Andy Beshear had acknowledged by Thursday night that at least eight individuals had passed away, including two in Perry County and one in nearby Knott County.

State of emergency declarations have been made in the counties of Perry, Breathitt, Clay, Owsley, Letcher, and Pike, Beshear stated during a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

The Floyd County state of emergency that was proclaimed on Wednesday afternoon was still in force.

Beshear requested government aid for the floods directly to President Biden on Thursday night.

He said, "The harm caused is significant and healing will be a long-term struggle." "This help is crucial to our efforts and vital for our citizens," via Accuweather.

Although damage assessments and repairs are anticipated to take many days, first responders were unable to evacuate residents due to the severe floods.

In response to significant flash floods and heavy rain that started Wednesday in southwest Virginia, as well as the prediction for further rain through Thursday night, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a state of emergency declaration Thursday evening.

Following the significant rains, flooding is still a problem throughout Southwest Virginia, according to Youngkin.

As additional rain is anticipated over the coming days, the local government want to go ahead with mobilizing as many resources as it can to help people who may be impacted.

Also Read: State of Emergency: Overland Flooding Due to Heavy Rain Prompts over 1,000 Evacuations in Alberta Province, Canada

People struggle through the flood

Before that, Governor Beshear said that "several individuals" were missing and that further people were awaiting rescue from roofs.

As of Thursday night, more than 22,000 people were without electricity, and some locations didn't have cellular coverage, he said, as per The New York Times.

The floodplain of Panbowl Lake in Jackson should be avoided, according to a recommendation made Thursday night by the Energy and Environment Cabinet of Kentucky, the organization in charge of safeguarding the environment in the state.

The Panbowl Lake dam's "muddy discharge" was highlighted as a cause for concern in the notice, which also warned that 110 residences, 13 businesses, two churches, a school, and a hospital might be flooded.

The governor claimed that the state only had a small number of planes equipped with the tools needed to transport those trapped citizens.

Beshear said that he then got in touch with West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, who agreed to deploy more planes to help with the rescue operations in Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky is under a state of emergency, according to Governor Beshear. He said that the situation with the floods was "dynamic and continuing" and that the water in many places still hadn't subsided or even crested.

"It's been a difficult night, and perhaps an even more difficult morning," he remarked.

According to Major General Hal Lamberton of the Kentucky National Guard, state officials have boats and helicopters for citizen rescue.

Two teachers from a particular school were among those who were left stranded, according to Governor Beshear.

Residents like Henry Johnson and Jennifer Richie's trailer near Chavies, Kentucky, were briefly transported by stormwater before becoming submerged, and they had to spend at least three hours clinging to it before huddling on top of it.

The immediate concern was that Ms. Richie's mother since she was trapped inside.

According to Mr. Johnson's mother, Diane Johnson, the 32-year-old and Ms. Richie, 41, lost everything in the storm, including their house, automobiles, shoes, and eyeglasses.

Around 12:30 a.m., according to Mrs. Johnson, she got a text from her son, who said that the flood was headed towards their home.

Mary Combs, Ms. Richie's mother, was standing with her head by the trailer's ceiling when rescuers got there, in a section that had not yet flooded.

They were taken at six in the morning to a hospital. They were recuperating in Mrs. Johnson's house by Thursday afternoon.

A little brook that quickly transformed into a river was seen on camera by Austin Gibson, a state park staffer, on Wednesday evening near his brother's home in Salyersville, roughly 100 miles southeast of Lexington. "It was the worst floods I can remember," he wrote.

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