Kentucky: The – provisional – death toll from the floods has reached 37

The still provisional toll of catastrophic flooding in Kentucky has reached 37 dead and the bad weather continues, the governor of this southeastern US state announced yesterday.

“Closing the day with more heartbreaking news from eastern Kentucky. We can confirm the death toll now stands at 37 and there are still people missing,” Andy Beshear said on Twitter.

“Let’s pray for these families,” the Democratic politician added.

Mr. Beshear said that the death toll could not be ruled out to be even heavier, as rescue crews would be deployed in flood-hit areas that had not yet been reached.

Searches were hampered by further rain yesterday and storms were expected to continue overnight.

“As if the situation wasn’t already difficult enough for the residents of this area, it’s raining right now,” the governor said during a press conference earlier yesterday.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) warned that there was a risk of flooding for most of eastern Kentucky as of this morning.

“Heavy rainfall is possible that may cause flash flooding,” the NWS said via Twitter.

The flooding, which began last week and is among the worst to ever hit Kentucky, turned roads into rivers, swallowed bridges and homes in areas already experiencing economic withering.

Damage caused to mobile phone network antennas complicated rescue operations and any estimate of the number of dead and missing.

Last Sunday, Gov. Beshear warned that “we will be finding bodies for weeks, many of which will have drifted hundreds of meters.”

US President Joe Biden declared a state of “natural disaster” releasing federal funds to support affected areas in the state.

Source: AMPE