At least 15 people have died in the “worst” flooding in Kentucky’s history, and the death toll is expected to double as it continued to rain in the rural central US state on Friday.
US President Joe Biden declared a state of “natural disaster” and sent federal reinforcements to support areas affected by “storms, floods, mudslides and mudslides.”
Heavy rain hit the rural eastern state on Wednesday evening, diverting some roads into rivers and forcing residents to seek shelter on rooftops while waiting for help.
Andy Bashir told CNN that others were trapped by the rising water or swept away by their cars, and the result was “terrifying.”
The Democratic Governor added, “The number of people we’ve lost in Kentucky is currently 15 and is expected to at least double, including children.”
“Hundreds have lost everything and it will take at least a year to recover,” he said.
All emergency services were mobilized to help the victims, including the National Guard, police and reinforcements from neighboring states.
Bashir confirmed that there were about 50 air rescues and hundreds of boat rescues.
“But there is a lot of water, and the currents are so strong that we cannot reach everyone,” he added.
Heavy rain is expected to continue into Friday evening, with a flood warning still in place.
With human-induced global warming, the atmosphere is becoming more and more saturated, increasing the risk of periods of heavy rainfall, scientists say. These rains, combined with other urban planning factors, can cause flooding.
In some parts of Kentucky, about 20 centimeters of rain fell in a day, and in places the rivers suddenly rose several meters and derailed.
In the Jackson area, some roads turn into rivers, abandoned cars are everywhere.
At the bottom of these small valleys, surrounded by forests, muddy waters covered the land, and in some places only the roofs of buildings and the tops of trees were visible.
Thousands of people in the state were left without electricity and water on Friday.
Shelters are located in churches, gyms and parks.
“This is the worst flooding Kentucky has ever seen and comes after the worst hurricanes in Kentucky history,” Bashir said.
In December, dozens of violent tornadoes devastated five states in the central US, especially Kentucky, killing at least 79 people.
President Joe Biden announced during a visit to the region that weather events have become “more severe” due to global warming.
