Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated that the death toll from the floods in Kentucky rose to 11 on Monday, February 17th, and may continue to increase. An upcoming snowstorm could further jeopardize rescue efforts.
Last Saturday’s flash floods virtually impacted the entire state of Kentucky and several surrounding states. Currently, search teams have carried out over a thousand rescue missions.
Beshear mentioned that hundreds of people are homeless, over 14,000 households and businesses are still without power, and 17,000 people are without water.
The Kentucky National Guard has been deployed with the assistance of aviation personnel from Indiana and Tennessee. Federal urban search and rescue teams from Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee have also responded.
Some areas in the state have seen rainfall exceeding 8 inches, with a forecast of up to 6 inches of snow incoming.
During a press conference, Governor Beshear stated, “We are still in the emergency rescue phase. We are still executing multiple different missions. People are still in danger.”
The recent deaths of three individuals have brought the death toll to 11. Among these 11, 9 died due to the floods, while 2 perished in traffic accidents.
He issued a warning that the impact of the storms is far from over, “Power outages will persist for a considerable amount of time, and cold weather is on the way.”
(This article is based on a report from Reuters)