Death toll from Floods Could Double, Says Kentucky Governor

After days of fatal flooding that ravaged parts of eastern Kentucky and killed at least 16 people, first responders continued to work Saturday to account for missing residents, the state governor said.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear expressed regret that more people are reported dead after what officials described as unprecedented flooding in the region.

“This is a type of flooding that even a flooding area has never seen in our lives,” Beshear told CNN after returning from an aerial tour of the Breathitt County floods on Friday. “Hundreds of houses swept away with nothing left.”

In addition to the 16 people known to have been killed, the governor said the death toll “could double” in the coming days as rescuers search for new areas that are currently impassable.

Rescue efforts were also hampered by power outages that persisted early Saturday, with more than 17,000 homes and businesses remaining in the dark, according to the PowerOutage website.

There is no accurate account of how many people remain missing after cell service went down in many areas, with Beshear saying, “It will be very challenging to get a good number.”

Massive floods swept away homes in several counties, with some residents rushing to rooftops to escape the deadly floods. Officials believe thousands have been affected by the storms, and efforts to rebuild some areas could take years, the governor said on Friday.

“It’s devastating for us, especially after the western part of our state went through the worst tornado disaster we’ve seen for just seven and a half months,” Beshear told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, referring to a string of tornadoes that went through. Kentucky in December and left 74 people dead.

Deaths were reported in Knott, Perry, Letcher and Clay counties. Fourteen people, including four children, were confirmed dead on Friday afternoon in Knott County, according to the county coroner. It was not immediately clear how this number affects the total death toll in the state. The latest official update of 16 statewide deaths included 11 deaths in Knott County.

The four children were siblings, according to their aunt Brandi Smith, who said the family’s mobile home was flooded by floodwaters and forced the family to run to the roof for safety. She added that her sister Amber and her partner tried to save their children but failed.

“They were holding on to them. The water got so strong it washed them away,” Smith told CNN.

Eastern Kentucky should get some relief from the heavy rain on Saturday. Rain is possible from Sunday to Monday, when there is a slight risk of excessive rain over the region, according to the Weather Forecast Center. Affected areas may include eastern Tennessee and throughout the Appalachians of North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.