newYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Massive flooding hit Kentucky on Thursday, killing at least eight people and the death toll was expected to hit double digits, Gov. Andy Beshear said in announcing the state of emergency.
“Tonight, we must continue to pray for the people of eastern Kentucky,” Beshear said in a statement. “This is an ongoing natural disaster and more rain tonight could make the situation worse. The death toll has risen tragically, with eight Kentuckians lost.”
Earlier Thursday, the governor called the flood “devastating,” adding, “It will be one of the most severe and deadly floods Kentucky has experienced in at least a very long time.
The governor made grim predictions that many people would be displaced, hundreds of properties would be destroyed, and repairs could take years.
Arizona woman holding on to stop sign rescued from flooding
Beshear said the National Guard has been deployed to the hardest-hit areas and has opened three parks in the area as shelters for displaced people.
Rescuers helped people stranded overnight in rising waters in Perry County, eastern Kentucky. Emergency manager Jerry Stacey called it a “catastrophic event.”
Flash floods and landslides have been reported in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, western Virginia, and southern West Virginia, with thunderstorms bringing several inches of rain over the past few days.
In Breathitt County in eastern Kentucky, floodwaters covered roads and flooded homes and businesses. Officials said the volunteer fire department had to abandon the flooded station.
ST.Louis Flood: At Least One Killed in Historic Event
Storms ravage the mountains of Appalachia, where communities and homes are built on steep hillsides and in the hollows between them.
After as much as 6 inches of rain in some areas by Thursday, roads will be impassable in many areas and another 1 to 3 inches could fall, according to the National Weather Service.
In Kentucky’s Perry, Leslie, and Clay counties, lowlanders were prompted to seek higher ground after multiple rapid water rescues. Breathitt County courthouses opened overnight, and emergency management director Chris Fryley said the Old Montessori School will provide more permanent shelter once the crew is able to staff it.
Dangerous US Fever Affects Millions of Americans
A Perry County dispatcher told WKYT-TV that the floodwaters washed away roads and bridges and blew homes off their foundations. The city of Hazard said rescuers were out all night and urged people on Facebook to stay off the road and “hope it rains”.
In Greenbrier County, West Virginia, firefighters rescued people from a flooded home, and five campers stranded in high water in Nicholas County were rescued by the Kessler’s Cross Lanes Volunteer Fire Department, WCHS-TV said. reported.
Communities in southwestern Virginia were also flooded, and the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, warned of more showers and storms on Thursday.
In Buchanan County, Virginia, which experienced severe flooding two weeks ago, a preliminary assessment of the previous flood was considered safe amid the latest storm surge, according to Virginia Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Lauren Oppett. has been postponed for
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Also in Wise County, the Emergency Management Agency warned Thursday morning of impending flooding and road closures in the Pound Bottom area. Authorities advised residents to evacuate until the floodwaters receded or seek refuge in elementary school shelters.
Fox News’ Julia Musto and Associated Press contributed to this report.