The death toll from flooding in eastern Kentucky in the United States continues to rise. This Monday, the governor of that state, Andy Beshear, confirmed this at least 37 people lost their lives and assured that the the number of victims continues to grow while search and rescue teams spread like a fan in the flooded areas.

“We close the day with more devastating news in eastern Kentucky. We can confirm that the death toll has risen to 37, with many are still missingBeshear wrote on Twitter.

In parallel, he added: “Let’s pray for those families and join together to hug our friends in Kentucky.”

The the continuation of the rains complicates the reclamation, search and rescue operations, while possible bad weather at night threatens to cause further damage. “There is the potential for severe storms today in all affected areas,” the governor said.

The US National Weather Service issued a flood monitor for most of eastern Kentucky for Monday evening and Tuesday morning, warning that “a storm complex is expected to move over the region overnight.”

“Heavy rains could lead to flash floods as well possible severe thunderstorms“The service tweeted.

Parts of eastern Kentucky, experiencing the worst flooding in its history, dumped more than 8 inches of rain in a 24-hour period last week, causing flash floods.

Torrential rains hit the region last Wednesday night, turning streets into rivers and forcing residents to take shelter on rooftops while they waited for help.

Others became trapped by the rising waters or were swept away while inside the cars. The water level of the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Whitesburg rose to 6 meters in a matter of hours, well above its previous record (4.5 meters).

Parts of the Appalachian region remain inaccessible after floods swept away destroyed bridges and homes.

The natural disaster struck a region of Kentucky that was already suffering from extreme poverty, caused by the decline of the coal industry, which was the heart of its economy.

The state already experienced a catastrophic situation in December 2021, when a tornado ripped through the western part of the state, killing 60 people.

The floods in eastern Kentucky are the latest in a series of extreme weather events that scientists say are a sure sign of climate change.

door-to-door rescues

First responders have been rescuing people door-to-door in recent days in Kentucky due to worsening weather conditions.

“We are going to work to go from door to door, work to find, once again, as many people as possible. We also go to work in the rain. But time is complicating everything, “Beshear warned a few days ago.

Furthermore, he prefigured: “We will find bodies for weeks many of them have swept hundreds of meters, perhaps more than a quarter of a mile from where they were lost. “

US President Joe Biden announced on Friday declaration of the territory as a “major catastrophe” area. to confirm the help the federal government will give the state government to cope with these floods, the White House said in a statement.

With information from AFP and EFE.

IS