Lexington Herald-Leader
(TNS)
The tragic floods that slammed Kentucky over the weekend continued their devastation: The death toll has jumped to 12, evacuations are continuing, communities are cleaning up and emergency crews from at least five other states are assisting Kentucky authorities.
As Kentucky braces for frigid weather and more snow, and crews continue to assess the floods’ damage, here’s what we know as of Monday afternoon:
▪ The death toll jumped to 11, Gov. Andy Beshear announced at a 10 a.m. Monday update and news conference. Around 6:30 p.m., the governor acknowledged a 12th victim was discovered in Scott County. That figure stood at nine late Sunday night.
▪ A 65-year-old Harrison County man was killed after his vehicle was swept off KY 35 outside of Sadieville in Scott County, according to officials.
▪ Scott County Coroner Mark Sutton told the Herald-Leader Paul Joseph Licato’s vehicle was found on the side of the road shortly after 1 p.m. Monday. He was traveling toward Sadieville at the time his vehicle was likely swept away by flood waters.
▪ In a social media post at 6:35 p.m. Monday, Beshear said: “I’ve got more tough news. The death toll in Kentucky has now risen to 12. We must remember, this isn’t just a number — these are Kentuckians who will be missed by their families and loved ones. Please pray for our commonwealth and our neighbors who have lost people they love.”
▪ Rescue efforts from 175 National Guard, including aid from Indiana and Tennessee, are continuing. “They’ll stay as long as necessary,” he said.
▪ North Carolina, Missouri and Ohio have sent relief workers, too, Kentucky officials said. They’re joining state and local first responders and rescue squads. “This is a statewide effort,” state officials said.
▪ “We’re very grateful for the highly skilled, well-trained personnel (coming from other regions and states) and I guarantee lives have been saved by their abilities,” Beshear said.
▪ In Martin County, crews rescued more than 230 people from a flooded Kentucky apartment complex, Beshear said in the afternoon. The name of the apartment complexes was not released.
▪ “In Martin County, we had two apartment complexes that were going to be without power for multiple days,” he said. “The water was rising and the parking lot around it was underwater, and we were worried about the safety and life of a lot of families that are there.
▪ “Thanks to nine separate helicopters, including several from out of state, National Guard and KSP ( Kentucky State Police), as well as a number of boats from a lot of different places, we have now evacuated 237 Kentuckians,” Beshear said. He met with some of those families at a nearby airport.
▪ Beshear said more than 12,000 Kentucky homes and businesses were still without power as temperatures throughout the state were expected to plummet on Tuesday. “If your power is not scheduled to come back on, please, get to a warm place,” Beshear said.
▪ Most of the deaths are concentrated in Eastern Kentucky, with three deaths each in Hart and Pike Counties; and one death in each of Hardin, Floyd, Washington, Clay and Nelson counties. A state official said Eastern Kentucky is “in a struggle right now.” Pike and Martin counties are particularly in distress with a need for evacuations.
▪ Crews remain in a search-and-rescue mode. “We’re very grateful for the highly skilled, well-trained personnel (coming from other regions and states) and I guarantee lives have been saved by their abilities,” Beshear said.
▪ There have been about 1,000 emergency rescues in the first 24 hours of the weekend storm, the governor said. “We keep getting hit over and over.”
▪ The National Weather Service in Jackson predicted Kentucky’s rivers have crested, or reached their highest water level, by “early Monday morning.” The Kentucky River peaked at 42 feet in Booneville Sunday evening, and the Levisa Fork, which feeds in to the Big Sandy River, hit 48.4 feet in Williamson earlier in the day Sunday. Red River in Clay City was to crest around 21.9 feet early Monday morning.
▪ The water level in Beattyville, which evacuated most of the city on Sunday because of flooding, hasn’t risen since 3 a.m. Monday. Lee County Judge Executive Steve Mays said he hopes the water will recede soon, but right now it’s just a waiting game.
▪ “We got hit hard again, almost as bad as we did in (2022) and we’re just gonna have to dig our way out of it,” he said. “It hurts you when you see your town and your county, the place you grow up in, get hit like this again. It just hurts you when you see that, but we’ll dig out of it and come back like we always have.”
▪ President Donald Trump approved federal aid after Beshear declared an emergency for the state Sunday, freeing federal funding for impacted areas.
▪ 334 state and federal roads remain closed, most of them concentrated in eastern and southeastern Kentucky, Beshear said.
▪ 2,300 state road crews were out across the commonwealth Monday morning.
▪ 14,672 people are without power as of 10:30 a.m. Monday.
▪ Beshear said the flooding could be as significant of a natural disasters as the tornadoes that hit western Kentucky in 2021 and the flooding that hit eastern Kentucky in 2022. He announced on Instagram the state is accepting donations into the new “Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund” to help people effected get back on their feet.
▪ “A lot of people are going to be harmed throughout this event, and they are going to need out help to rebuild after,” he said.
▪ More bad weather — frigid cold and snow — on the horizon, starting Tuesday.
▪ As the rain slows down, snow will pick up late Monday with light flurries. Most of the commonwealth will be hit hardest on Wednesday, said WKYT Chief Meteorologist Chris Bailey, with anywhere from 2 to 8 inches of snow expected.
▪ Beshear repeatedly displayed his counselor-in-chief role throughout Monday: “We are tough people” and we will get through this, the governor said.
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