Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said it will take weeks to find all the victims of torrential flooding in his state, as the official death toll rose Saturday to at least 25 people, including four children.
“From everything we’ve seen, we may be updating the count of how many we lost for the next several weeks,” Beshear said. “In some of these areas, it’s hard to know exactly how many people were there.”
Victims included the four children of Riley Noble and Amber Smith — ages 19 months to 8 years old — whose bodies were found Friday after the floods tore them from their parents a day earlier.
Beshear said the number of deaths would likely grow significantly, but that it would take weeks to find the bodies. Crews have made at least 1,432 rescues by air and boat, officials told the Lexington Herald Leader.
“I’m worried we’re going to be finding bodies for weeks to come,” the governor said.
Residents returned Saturday to flood-ravaged homes and communities across the region to shovel mud and debris and salvage what they could.
Soaked couches, tables and pillows were stacked in yards as people worked to clear out debris and shovel mud from driveways and roads under now-blue skies.
President Biden has promised to send federal aid to Kentucky. Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP
Home and structures are flooded near Quicksand, Kentucky on July 28, 2022. Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via APHubert Thomas, 60, fled to Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonburg after floodwaters destroyed his home in Pine Top late Wednesday night. He said the home he shared with his nephew is beyond repair.
“I’ve got nothing now,” he said.“Mountain people are strong. And like I said it’s not going to be tomorrow, probably not next month, but I think everybody’s going to be okay. It’s just going to be a long process.”
The heavy rain let up early Friday after parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches over 48 hours.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear estimates it will take “several weeks,” for the state to find the victims of the flash floods. Jon Cherry/Getty Images for Concordia
Eastern Kentucky received more than 8 inches of rain in a two-day span. Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via APSome waterways did not crest until Saturday.
The flooding has extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia, when Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency in six counties where floods downed trees and power lines and blocked roads.
More than 16,000 utility customers in Kentucky and almost 1,200 in Virginia remained without power as of Saturday evening, poweroutage.us reported.
President Biden declared a federal disaster on Friday to direct relief money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.
With Post wires
