Search and rescue teams backed by the National Guard were searching Friday for people missing in record flooding that wiped out entire communities in some of America’s poorest places. Kentucky’s governor said 16 people had died, expecting the toll to rise as the rain continued to fall.
“We still have a lot to look for,” said Jerry Stacey, director of emergency management in hard-hit Perry County, Kentucky. “We still have missing people.”
Powerful floods engulfed towns that hug rivers and streams in Appalachian valleys and hollows, inundating homes and businesses, leaving vehicles in useless piles, and shaking runaway equipment and debris into bridges. Mudslides on steep slopes left many people stranded and without power, making rescues difficult.
Homes are flooded by Lost Creek, Kentucky on July 28. Heavy rains have caused flash flooding and mudslides as storms batter parts of the central Appalachians. Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP
Gov. Andy Beshear told The Associated Press before touring the disaster area on Friday that the 15 dead in Kentucky included children, “but I expect that number to more than double, possibly even today.”
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Emergency crews performed nearly 50 air rescues and hundreds of water rescues Thursday, and more people still need help, the governor said. “This is not only an ongoing disaster, but also an ongoing search and rescue. The water won’t peak in some areas until tomorrow.”
Determining the number of people missing is difficult with cell service and electricity in the disaster area, he said: “It’s so widespread that it’s a challenge even for local authorities to put that number together.”
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More than 200 people have sought shelter, Bescher said. He deployed National Guard troops to the worst-hit areas. Three parks have set up shelters, and with so much property damage, the governor has opened an online donation portal for victims. President Joe Biden called to express his support for what will be a lengthy recovery effort, Bescher said, predicting it will take more than a year for a full recovery.
More rain lashed the region on Friday after days of torrential downpours. The storm sent water gushing from hillsides and out of creek beds, flooding roads and forcing rescue teams to use helicopters and boats to reach trapped people. The flooding also damaged parts of West Virginia and southern West Virginia, a region where poverty is endemic.
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“There are hundreds of families that have lost everything,” Bescher said. “And a lot of these families didn’t have much to begin with. And so it hurts even more. But we will be there for them.
Home and structures flooded near Quicksand, Ky. on July 28. Heavy rains have caused flash flooding and mudslides as storms batter parts of the central Appalachians. Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP
Poweroutage.us reported that more than 33,000 customers were without power Friday in eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia, with the majority of outages in Kentucky.
Rescue crews also worked in Virginia and West Virginia to reach people in places where roads were impassable. Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties in West Virginia, where flooding downed trees, knocked out power and blocked roads. Governor Glenn Youngkin also issued an emergency declaration, allowing Virginia to mobilize resources in flooded areas of southwest Virginia.
“With more rainfall forecasted over the next few days, we want to continue to provide as many resources as possible to help those affected,” Youngkin said in a statement.
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While some flooding has receded since peaking Thursday, the National Weather Service said flash flooding remains possible through Friday evening in places across the region.
The hardest-hit areas of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches in a 48-hour period ending Thursday, said Brandon Bonds, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. More rain fell in some areas overnight, including Martin County, which was hit with about 3 more inches, prompting another flash flood warning on Friday.
The North Fork of the Kentucky River rose and broke records in at least two places. A river gauge registered 20.9 feet (6.4 meters) in Whitesburg, more than 6 feet above the previous record, and the river reached a record 43.47 feet in Jackson, Bonds said.
Bonds said some places could see more rain Friday afternoon and start to dry out Saturday “before things pick back up on Sunday and into next week.”
A truck drives along flooded Wolverine Road in Breathitt County, Ky., July 28. Heavy rains have caused flash flooding and mudslides as storms batter parts of the central Appalachians. Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP
Crystal Holbrook had had enough Thursday as her family raced through the night to move vehicles, campers, trailers and equipment as rapidly rising floodwaters threatened her southeastern Kentucky town of Jackson. “Finding higher ground is getting a little difficult,” she said.
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In Whitesburg, Kentucky, floodwaters infiltrated the Appalshop, an arts and education center known for promoting and preserving the region’s history and culture.
“We’re not exactly sure of the total damage because we weren’t able to get into the building safely or really get too close to it,” said Meredith Skalos, director of communications. “We know some of our archival material has been flooded from the building to the streets of Whitesburg.”
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