The devastating flooding in Kentucky has left at least 25 dead, but that number is expected to rise, rescuers continue to search for survivors, the governor of the US southern state said on Saturday.
Torrential downpours earlier this week caused unprecedented flooding in eastern Kentucky, a region severely affected by poverty.
Noting that 16 people had died before, Governor Andy Beshear said, “Today, we have some difficult news to share from Eastern Kentucky, where we are still in the search and rescue phase. Our death toll has risen to 25 and is poised to increase.” .
“We stand by you today and in the weeks, months and years to come to everyone in eastern Kentucky. We will get through this together.”
The governor had previously said hundreds of people had been rescued by boat since the flooding began Wednesday night, with National Guard helicopters performing dozens of air rescues.
More than 200 millimeters of rain was recorded in a 24-hour period in some parts of the state.
For example, in the city of Whitesburg, the water level at the north fork of the Kentucky River broke its record in just a few hours, reaching 7 meters.
Floods turned many roads into rivers, and some houses in the lowlands were almost completely submerged, with only their roofs visible.
US President Joe Biden declared the state a “natural disaster” and approved federal reinforcements to support areas affected by “storms, floods, landslides and avalanches.”
In December, dozens of severe tornadoes killed at least 79 people in five states across the central United States, particularly Kentucky.
source: Noticias
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