For the second time in a week, portions of Kentucky were submerged following extreme rainfall that sparked deadly flash-flooding. Several inches of rain in the eastern part of the state on Wednesday turned Appalachian towns into raging rivers that swept away homes and the people who lived in them.
At least three people have been reported dead since the latest torrential rains began. In places like Perry County, as much as 14 inches of rain had been recorded over the past 48 hours, and the rain was still falling on Thursday. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll would likely rise into the double-digits.
“In a word, this event is devastating, and I do believe it will end up being one of the most significant deadly floods that we have had in Kentucky in at least a very long time,” Beshear said at a Thursday news conference, adding, “This isn’t just a disaster, it’s an ongoing natural disaster. We are in the midst of it. and for some place it will continue through tonight.”
Kentucky is still working to repair the damage left behind in December of 2021, when a string of tornadoes leveled whole towns in the western portion of the state. The latest round of extreme weather, which scientists have linked to climate change, will present even more challenges in the coming months.
"We expect a loss of life. Hundreds will lose their homes and this is going to be yet another event that it's going to take not months but likely years for many families to rebuild," Beshear said. Eastern Kentucky is expected to receive another two to three inches of rain Thursday night, and Beshear issued a statewide emergency declaration and called in the National Guard to help evacuate trapped residents. Hundreds of calls to police and fire departments have been pouring in as the floodwaters have continued to rise, and the rate the rainfall has effectively cut many residents off.
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