The death toll from the devastating flash floods that hit Kentucky this week has risen to at least 25, according to the latest figures released Friday night by the governor’s office and local officials. As it continues, that number was expected to continue to grow.
At a news briefing Friday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear said tolls were “going to be much higher”. he said it was one of
“It’s difficult,” said the governor. “Please continue to pray as it is even more difficult for those families and communities.”
The National Guard, state police, and other state agencies were assisting search and rescue operations, including about 50 air rescues and hundreds of boat rescues. Nearly 300 of his people were rescued across the state, Beshear said, with about 100 of those being flown to safety by plane.
As of Friday night, more than 20,000 customers in Kentucky were without power. According to PowerOutage.us.
In other development:
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President Biden declared a catastrophe in 13 eastern Kentucky counties, freeing up federal funds for local governments and nonprofits.
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Parts of Kentucky (including some of the counties affected the day before) and West Virginia put flash flood watches in place on Friday.
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When a mother and father of four children under the age of eight heard a flash flood warning, water began to seep into their Knott County mobile home before evacuating to higher ground. Her four children of them died in the flood.
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The town of Whitesburg responded to a call to support the community as the mayor was grieving the loss of her husband. “I think this is where God intended me to be,” Mayor Tiffany Kraft, 35, said Friday morning.
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“I think climate change is real,” Beshear, a Democrat, told reporters this week. “I believe it is causing more severe weather. That said, I am not sure about this and if it is related. We don’t want to downplay or politicize what is happening here.