At least 16 people died in the “worst” flooding in Kentucky history, that number could rise as rain intensifies in this rural, central US state on Friday.
President Joe Biden declared the state a “natural disaster” and mobilized federal reinforcements to support areas hit by storms, floods, landslides and mud rivers.
Torrential rains that hit eastern Kentucky Wednesday night turned roads into rivers and forced residents to take shelter on the roofs of their homes as they await help.
Others were stranded or dragged inside their cars by rising water levels.
“The difficult news is that there are currently 16 dead and folks, it’s still going to get a lot more,” Governor Andy Beshear warned at a press conference.
“Some homes were swept away in the middle of the night while people were sleeping,” he said.
Earlier, in statements to the CNN broadcaster, Beshear added that the number of victims was “devastating” and that she expected “more than double” that balance.
He added that hundreds of people have lost everything and it will take at least a year to rebuild.
Emergency services, along with the National Guard, police and reinforcements from neighboring states, are on missions to assist and rescue victims.
According to Beshear, about 50 air rescues and hundreds were carried out using boats. But there is a lot of water and the currents are so strong that we “cannot reach it all”.
hurricanes
The forecast shows rain will continue through at least this Friday night, so the flood warning remains in effect.
According to scientists, with human-induced global warming, the atmosphere begins to contain more water vapor, increasing the likelihood of heavy precipitation.
Associated with other factors, such as the waterproofing of the soil through urbanization, these rains facilitate flooding.
As much as 200 millimeters of rain was recorded in 24 hours in parts of Kentucky, and in some places river levels suddenly rose several feet, causing flooding and diverting rivers from their natural flow.
In the Jackson area, some roads have turned into streams with abandoned cars here and there.
In its small forested valleys, muddy water flooded the ground in some places, with only the roofs of houses and the tops of trees visible.
Thousands of people are left without electricity and water. Gyms, churches and parks have been turned into shelters.
“It comes after the worst floods in Kentucky history and the worst hurricanes in Kentucky history,” said Andy Beshear.
In December 2021, dozens of tornadoes devastated five states in the central United States, primarily Kentucky, with at least 79 deaths.
At the time, Joe Biden said weather events had become “more intense” with global warming.
source: Noticias
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