In the aftermath of the deadly floodings that has plagued Kentucky these past few days, at least 30 people have now been reported dead in the Appalachia region of eastern Kentucky, as the region braces for more rainfall and flooding.
It had also been reported that at least six children including four siblings, aged one to eight, who were reportedly swept from their parents’ grip are among the dead.
Read Also: Death Toll In Kentucky Renewed Flood Threat Hits 26
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the death toll would continue to rise as “hundreds” remain unaccounted for.
More than 12,000 households remain without power, and hundreds of homes and businesses have been flooded. The damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure will take millions to repair, the governor said on Monday.
Mr Beshear, who toured some of the hardest-hit neighbourhoods over the weekend, said he had seen “houses swept away” and “schools ruined”.
This is the worst flash flooding the region has seen in decades.
Governor Beshear called the flood “the deadliest and the most devastating of my lifetime”.
Displaced locals have taken refuge in state parks, churches and mobile homes brought in by the state. Many people “only have the clothes on their backs,” Mr Beshear said. “Everything is ruined.”
Scientists say climate change is triggering more extreme weather events like the Kentucky flooding. President Joe Biden has declared the floods “a major disaster” and ordered federal aid to help local rescuers.
In another previous report, the toll seemed to be climbing as the number of deaths from massive flooding in Kentucky have risen to 26 on Sunday and several dozen people have also remained missing amid the threat of more heavy rains to come.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear had also announced that the death toll had risen by one since Saturday from last week’s storms. Beshear had also said the number would likely rise significantly and it could take weeks to find all the victims. As many as 37 people were unaccounted for, according to a daily briefing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
On top of that, it has also been reported that some more flash flooding was possible in portions of Appalachia on Sunday and Monday as the latest storms roll through, the National Weather Service said. Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were possible in some of the same areas that were inundated last week.
