The death toll of last week’s devastating floods in Kentucky rose to 35 on Monday as a series of severe storms threaten to bring further rainfall, high winds and even flash flooding to residents still trying to find their places.
At a Monday morning press conference, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that five days after the floods began, at least “hundreds” of people are still missing in the state. The death toll is expected to rise further as search efforts continue this week.
“It’s going to grow,” he said. “We know of additional bodies beyond these 30 confirmed.”
Rain and flood warnings, along with the threat of high winds and hail, are complicating recovery and search efforts, Beshear said. All flood-affected areas of the state are subject to severe storm potential Monday.
Meanwhile, multiple reports of looting in Breathitt County and nearby Hindman, Ky., led to overnight curfews in some communities on Sunday.
Here’s what we know.
Weather Complicating Recovery and Temporary Shelter
The storm poses a threat of damaging winds and low risk of hail and tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service, and Kentucky is among states on Monday at a slight risk of excessive rainfall leading to flash floods. Trees are expected to fall with gusty winds due to weakened root systems.
The National Weather Service said radar showed up to four inches of rain fell Sunday in parts of the state. Workers are trying to determine which lakes and infrastructure have been damaged, and Beshear said some areas may not be able to have running water for months.
Beshear also raised concerns about high temperatures for residents once the storms pass, especially those who have yet to find stable shelter.
“People have to be careful and it’s going to get even harder,” Beshear said. “When the rain stops it will be very hot and we need to make sure people are finally stable by then.”
With homes washed away by floods and school buildings in ruins, many Kentucky residents lost all of their possessions and safe housing. About 150 residents displaced by the floods were temporarily housed in state parks and at least the same number were in Red Cross shelters on Monday, Beshear said. “We’re just getting to the point where people need a bed.”
Reports of ‘excessive looting’ prompt curfews
As the recovery process continues, multiple reports of looting have led to nightly curfews in some communities.
A county-wide curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. was put in place on Sunday evening in Breathitt County; there were exceptions only for emergency vehicles, first responders, and people traveling for work.
“I hate to have to impose a curfew, but looting will absolutely not be tolerated. Our friends and neighbors have lost so much – we cannot sit idly by and allow them to lose what they have left,” said County Attorney Brendon Miller on Facebook. Publish.
“Excessive looting” led Hindman, Kentucky, Mayor Tracy Neice to impose a strict sunset curfew for townspeople.
“If you take advantage of people in times of need, you’re sick,” Neice said. “You will not harm my people. You just won’t.
Progress continues in rescue efforts
In areas where bridges have been damaged or completely destroyed, rescuers are trying to troubleshoot to reach people trapped across rivers and streams, Beshear said.
Workers are airlifting water to those who cannot be safely reached by rescuers, while also focusing on emergency accommodation, according to Beshear. Search and rescue teams are still actively working to identify and search for missing persons.
“I anticipate we will continue with this for at least the next couple of days, although we are certainly working on emergency housing at the same time,” Beshear said.
Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the US National Guard Bureau, said about 400 people were rescued by a National Guard helicopter on Sunday. He estimated the guard rescued nearly 20 people by boat in hard-to-reach areas.
At least 12,000 people in the region remain without power, up from nearly double that number when the floods began. Beshear estimates it will take millions of dollars to recover infrastructure that has been lost in eastern Kentucky counties.
Search and rescue teams make heartbreaking discoveries
The rain returned in spurts early Sunday afternoon as search and rescue teams made a significant, but grim, discovery in Perry County, Kentucky.
A body was found and then eventually removed from Troublesome Creek along Kentucky Route 476 south of Ary.
And crackling radios and rapid chatter between emergency personnel indicated that a second body had been pulled further into the creek.
Several responders quickly emerged from a grove of trees blocking part of the creek, pulling a sled containing a black body bag up the embankment.
Harris to announce $1 billion in flood and heat grants
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce $1 billion in grant programs on Monday that states will use to deal with flooding and extreme heat worsened by climate change.
“We know the impacts of the climate crisis are here and we need to invest in building resilience to protect our communities, our infrastructure and our economy,” the White House said in a statement.
Harris is expected to announce the programs Monday at an event with Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Deanne Criswell.
The funding to be announced on Monday “will help ensure that our most vulnerable communities are not left behind, with hundreds of millions of dollars ultimately going directly to the communities most in need,” Criswell said.
Water at the door, nowhere to go
As the roaring floodwaters rose around her, Jessica Willett cut the electrical cord to a vacuum cleaner and tied herself to her two children.
The 34-year-old heard creaks and creaks as the force of the deluge fractured her prefab home perched on Bowling Creek, a remote and steep howl in Kentucky. The ground tilted and water poured out. His car parked outside was swept away.
Huddled with her 3-year-old son, Isaiah, and 11-year-old daughter, Nevaeh, in a bedroom, Willett felt the house shift from its foundation. She hoped the mattress could float. And she prayed that being tied up would prevent her children from being dragged alone into a torrent filled with trees, sheet metal and cars.
“I can at least try to save them,” she said. “If they find us, they will find us together.”
Contributor: Associated Press; Louisville Courier Journal staff