Deadly flooding in eastern Kentucky: Live updates | CNN (2024)

Four of the children who were found dead in Knott County following the devastating flooding in eastern Kentuckyweresiblings, their aunt Brandi SmithtoldCNN on Friday.

Smith isthe sister ofthe children’s mother,Amber Smith,andidentified the four children as Chance,age 2;Nevaeh,age 4;Riley Jr.,age 6;andMadison,age 8.

According to Smith,who learnedof the deathsfrom thechildren’s mother,the family’s trailer home became quickly flooded with water forcing the family to seek shelter on the roof.

Smith said the couple had to wait several hours to be rescued and even though they’re physically okay, they’re still in shock.

She described her nieces and nephews as sweet, funny and lovable children.

Gov. Andy Beshear said earlier today the bodies of four missing children in Knott County had been found following devastating flooding, but did not provide additional details.

CNN’s Sharif Paget contributed to this report

Garland Combs walks past a car and garage that was swept downstream near the muddy Grapevine Creek in Perry County on July 28.

Getting a reliable number of the people who are missing or dead in eastern Kentucky flooding has been nearly impossible due to the infrastructure that has been damaged, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday evening.

The tracking website PowerOutage.us indicated that a majority of power customers in Knott and Letcher Counties were still in the dark Friday evening, with thousands more without power in neighboring Letcher and Perry Counties.

The governor said the official death toll of 16 “could potentially double” as more information comes in from county officials. Beshear said the water will have to begin receding to the upcoming days before they can think about what it will take to rebuild.

“That’s going to take years,” he said.

The West Virginia National Guard sent two UH-60M Blackhawks and two Lakota aircraft with crews comprising of 14 soldiers to assist in the flood response in eastern Kentucky, according to a statement.

In atweetFriday, the National Guard said that the aircraft has hoist capabilities.

West Virginia National Guard Major General William Crane said in atweetthat he could not “begin to describe how incredibly proud I am of our @WVNaitonalGuard Soldiers as they demonstrate the spirit of the @USNationalGuard – always ready, always there.

Crane posted video footage from a rescue today in Southeast Kentucky by a crew from C Co 2/104thGASB (MEDEVAC).

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice thanked National Guard members assisting in the rescue efforts in atweetFriday. He added that he and his wife are “continuing to pray for those who have lost loved ones and are still searching.”

At least 14 are confirmed dead as a result of flooding in Knott County, Kentucky, northeast of the town of Hazard, according to the county coroner.

Coroner Corey Watson told CNN Friday afternoon that the 14 people confirmed dead in Knott County included four children.

It is not immediately clear how this factors into the state’s overall death toll.

The last official statewide update included 11 deaths in Knott County and 16 deaths statewide. The governor declined to provide an updated statewide death toll during a Friday afternoon news conference, saying they were still getting updates from local officials.

President Joe Biden confirmedon Twitterthat he connected with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear about the flash-flooding in the state that has destroyed communities, caused power outages and killed at least 16 people.

“I spoke with Governor Beshear and Senator McConnell today to offer the full support of the federal government to the people of Kentucky in response to the devastating flooding,” President Biden said from his official Twitter account.

The tweet includes a photo of Biden on the phone and looking at a map.

See the tweet:

A couple abandons their home flooded by the waters of the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Kentucky, on July 28.

Flash flooding, like the kind that devastated parts of eastern Kentucky and killed more than a dozen people, are dangerous because it is powerful and happens quickly.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to have a plan and make sure you are prepared for an emergency. That’s because heavy rainfall is becoming more common due to climate change. Rainfall over land has become more intense since the 1980s, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report’s authors say human influence is the main driver.

This happens because warmer air can hold more water, the report said, adding that more water vapor in the atmosphere means more moisture available to fall as rain, which leads to higher rainfall rates and higher, more dangerous, more widespread flash flooding.

TheRed Cross is a great resource. It will help you formulate the best plan and build an emergency kit or a “go bag” to take when forced to evacuate. The Red Cross also hasan emergency mobile appthat will send weather notifications based on zip code and will help you understand potential hazards.

Here are a few other bits of advice for a flash flood emergency:

Watch to learn more about why flash flooding is so dangerous:

CNN’s Jennifer Gray, John Keefe and Curt Merrillcontributed to this report.

Chloe Adams, 17, saved herself and her dog by swimming to a neighbor’s roof where she sat for several hours until she was rescued during Thursday’s flooding in Kentucky.

Terry Adams, the teen’s father, told CNN his daughter was at home in Whitesburg, Kentucky, when the flash flooding started.Adams said his daughter saved her dog by putting the dog in a plastic container and swimming with it to a nearby roof.

Chloe lives with her grandfather but they were separated when the rushing flood waters made it impossible for Chloe to reach her grandfather, her father said. The family took shelter in her uncle’s home while Chloe had to wait to be rescued.

According to Adams, his daughter was rescued by a man who used his kayak to save the teen and her dog.Chloe’s grandfather also escaped uninjured.

Adams shared a photo with CNN, which showed his daughter and her dog sitting on the roof of a home while everything around them was under several feet of water.

Chloe told CNN she’s still in shock and processing everything that happened.She took a video of what she was witnessed while she waited on the roof. The video shows Chloe and her dog sitting on a small section of a roof that is mostly under water while surrounded by flood waters.

The largest health service in eastern Kentucky has not been able to reach more than two dozen of its employees since devastating flooding began in the region Thursday.

“Right now, 27 team members are unaccounted for,” Appalachian Regional Healthcare CEO Hollie Phillips told CNN Friday afternoon.

Phillips said most of the missing employees work at the ARH hospital in Hazard, one of the largest of their 12 hospitals in Kentucky. “We pray that our employees are healthy and safe,” she said.

All ARH hospitals have remained open during the crisis, although some workers have had to be reassigned to other locations in order to cover unavailable workers, according to Phillips. She says many of their nearly 100 clinics are closed.

“We have one clinic that we believe we have lost completely,” said Phillips, with another two possibly unsalvageable in Floyd County.

Despite difficulties with staffing and accessibility, Phillips says ARH has been able to continue critical functions at all of its hospitals.

“Our emergency departments are very, very busy,” she said.

A house is seen almost completely submerged on July 29 in Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Record flash flooding along the North Fork Kentucky River is surging into the Kentucky River, raising river levels.

Water levels are still in a major flood stage — Level 3 of 3 — but are forecast to gradually decrease over the next 24 to 48 hours.

The North Fork Kentucky River gauge, located in Jackson, crested around 2:30 a.m. EDT this morning at 43.47 feet, setting a new record.

The current forecast has the river at this location dropping to moderate flood stage — Level 2 of 3 — by Friday evening and below flood levels by Saturday eveni ng.

Click here to track where the flooding has been the heaviest over the last 24 hours.

Members of the Jackson Fire Department prepare to conduct search and rescue operations on July 28, in Jackson, Kentucky.

There is no more dangerous time for severe weather than after dark. You can’t see the storm coming. You can’t see the water rising. And, if it’s late enough, you’re not awaketo hear the warnings.

This is exactlywhat happened in eastern Kentuckyin the early morning Thursday. Torrential rain overwhelmed a river, which rapidly grew beyond its banks and flooded the surrounding towns, flooding homes up to their roofs and killing more than a dozen people.

“This is so deadly, and it hit so hard, and it hit in the middle of the night,” Gov. Andy Beshear said of the disaster. Houses were “completely swept away in the middle of the night,” possibly while residents were sleeping.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency alert — the agency’s most dire warning tool for flooding — around 1 a.m. Thursday. In many homes, the only way that alert would have come through at that hour would have been a Wireless Emergency Alert on cell phones. But even those can be shut off by users.

Here’s what to do to keep yourself and your family safe:

Read more about how to stay safe during flash floods here.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during a press conference on Friday, July 29.

The bodies of four missing children in Knott County, Kentucky, have been found following devastating flooding in eastern Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.

“That means we’ve got at least six dead children,” Beshear said. Earlier Friday, he said two children had died in Knott County.

Beshear said that he did not have an update on the official death toll to provide early Friday afternoon. Earlier in the day, the governor confirmed 16 fatalities due to the flooding.

Beshear conducted an aerial tour of the flood zone Friday along with Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Hundreds of homes, their ballfields, their parks, businesses, under more water than I think any of us have ever seen in that area,” Beshear said. “Absolutely impassable in numerous spots.”

Lexington Firefighters conduct search and rescue in Lost Creek, Kentucky on July 29.

Kentucky Emergency Management Director Jeremy Slinker said that the main priority right now is conducting search and rescue missions for victims of the devastating flooding in eastern parts of the state.

“We are very, very activestill in search and rescuemissions, and that includes bothby water, ground and air,” he told CNN.

The Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee National Guard have provided multiple helicopters with hoisting capabilities to conduct rescues.

“Many, many of those areasare just not accessible byvehicle or foot, and so that isthe only option we have,” he said about utilizing the aircraft.

“We’realso actively sending aircraftout for observation, because alot of the rescues are fromsomething they just see from theair and then we respond to it becausethe victim was unable to makethe phone call or to getassistance.As well as many, many waterrescues by boat and getting themfrom one area and across somedangerous waters to anotherarea,” he added.

President Joe Biden attends a meeting on July 28 in Washington, DC.

President Biden is receiving regular updates on the flash flooding in Kentucky, and the White House expects he will speak to Gov. Andy Beshear later today, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.

Biden has already spoken with Republican leader and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, according to the White House.

Biden approved an expedited emergency disaster declaration in Kentucky earlier this morning.

“Our hearts break for the families of those who have lost their lives, or are missing, and to all those who have been impacted,” Jean-Pierre added.

Clay Nickels and his wife, McKenzie, were woken up at 5 a.m. on Thursday morning to what they thought was someone banging at their door.

When they went to check, it turned out to be rocks from a mudslide hitting the side of their house, Clay told CNN.

Immediately the couple began packing up their important documents and valuables and evacuated to McKenzie’s mother’s house nearby. Clay said McKenzie had a plan in place and packed everything up within five minutes.

The Nickels live in Neon, Kentucky, in Letcher County, a part of the state that was heavily affected by the floods.

After things were under control, Clay says he and his wife went to check on family.

“At one point we looked down the hill and you could see a football field completely underwater,” Clay said, “The bleachers were our guide of telling if the water was receding or not.”

They then went to check on Clay’s grandfather who lives nearby. The couple took life jackets with them, not knowing how deep the water would get.

After wading in chest-deep water, the two arrived at Clay’s grandfather’s home.

He attempted to drive to his father and his other set of grandparents who live in Kite, Kentucky, about 16 miles away. But in order to reach them he spent hours using a chainsaw to cut down trees that were blocking roadways.

“The scariest part was hearing about the multiple fatalities,” Clay said. “People were saying that there were deaths in my father and grandparents’ part of town and I had no way of knowing if it was them.”

Everyone in Clay’s family is okay, but their houses are destroyed.

“My grandparents have 8-10 foot ceilings on their first floor and it was completely full of water,” He said, “Furniture is displaced and destroyed.” Clay and McKenzie’s home only suffered from some a small amount of water leaking inside.

His great-grandfather, who is 93, was able to evacuate his home before the flooding got worse. Clay says he stayed in his car up the hill by himself for some time, waiting for another family member to get him.

Clay said they’ve been told it’ll take at least a week before power and water is restored, but he believes it will be longer.

Flooding in eastern Kentucky led to outages and damage to more than 20 drinking water systems, according to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.

“There are 21 drinking water systems with known damage and outages in Eastern Kentucky due to recent flooding,” EEC said on Friday.

According to EEC, three teams from its emergency response field staff “will be conducting initial hazardous material identification surveys today, andKentucky Division of Forestryis assisting with debris removal” in the state.

EEC warned that other water systems may be impacted, but “due to damaged communication systems and power outages, there are still some water systems with whom communication has not been established,” it said in aFacebook post.

In a Friday update, the city of Hazard said most of Perry County “will be out of water for the time being.”

“We have lost two sections of 18 inch line, some of which is still underwater as the river recedes,” the city said.“If you have water, a boil water advisory is out for the entire county until further notice.”

“Lots of homes still without water or gas,” Hazard officials said.

Thousands of people have been rescued from devastating flooding in eastern Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said on Friday, but many families are still searching for loved ones.

For those with friends or family that are still missing, officials are urging them to call the Kentucky State Police, not 911.

The Kentucky State Police said it is “working diligently to respond” to areas affected by flooding, but its various phone lines are dealing with a “high volume” of calls.

“Troopers continue to work to preserve life and conduct rescue missions, and they remain committed to assisting those in need.Please dial 911 only if you have an emergency,” KSP said on its website.

To report someone missing, here are the numbers to call for each county:

The Kentucky Sate Police says you can also report someone missing by sending an email toksppubaff@ky.gov. It says the message will be forwarded to the respective Post handling reports for each county.

Here is the information you should include, according to the KSP:

Find more information about each KSP Post here.

Parts of eastern Kentucky remain under a flash flood warning through Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. An additional 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible throughout the day, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

Nearly 300 people have already been rescued from flood waters, Gov.AndyBeshear said. About 24,000 are still without power, according to the governor.

At least 16 people have died, with deaths reported in four counties, the governor said. Some of those counties are still under Friday’s flash flood warning.

The governor had planned to take an aerial tour of Hazard, Kentucky, but bad weather prevented that.

“Just that weather should remind us: This isn’t over,” Beshear said.

“The water hasn’t crested in some areas, and won’t until tomorrow,” he said.

aastrophic flooding in portions of eastern Kentucky has killed at least 16 people and could leave hundreds without homes. Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll is expected to rise and thedestruction is far from over.

Heavy rains and floodwaters took residents by surprise overnight Wednesday with somehouses completely lostto the waters in less than an hour.More than 9 inchesof rain fell in some areas of eastern Kentucky and more is expected in the coming days.

Beshear has set-up theTeam Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fundto help those impacted.

Several organizations are in the affected areas providing assistance. You can donate to helphere.

Perry County, Kentucky, Sheriff Joe Engle told CNN that an area of his county is completely isolated and state highways have been washed out from flooding.

“There is a big swath of the county that’s totally isolated, the state highways are just totally gone,” he said.

The storm “totally annihilated” the infrastructure, Engle said. “Water, telephone, internet, electricity, all the basic roads — all the basic things you would build a community around — have just disappeared.”

He said the community is pitching in and helping each other, “because we don’t have the resources to handle this.”

Engle said the first confirmed death in his county from flooding was his great aunt.

The sheriff said he received no warnings before the worst of the storm hit.

“They said we’re expecting 4-5 inches of rain; we’re used to that around here, but no warning whatsoever,” he said.

“I was in bed asleep, 12 or 1 o’clock in the morning and I found out when the coroner called me and said, ‘if you need any help, call me,’ and I said ‘help with what?’ He said, ‘it’s a disaster out there,’” Engle to CNN.

“There was no warnings. People asleep in mobile homes near this water… and caught in their sleep and just washed away,” Engle said.

The National Weather Service said it issued aflash flood watchabout 30 hours before the flooding began. Thefirst flash warning was issued for northern Perry County at 10:41 p.m. ET. The second flash flood warning was issued at 11:23p.m. ET for northern and central Perry County.

The National Weather Service said four wireless emergency alerts were broadcast to cell phones in the threat area, starting at 12:05 a.m. ET. The warnings were upgraded to include a catastrophic threat.

Update: This post has been updated to include a statement from the National Weather Service.

A fire chief and others from Mayfield, Kentucky — which was ravaged by a tornado in 2021 — are driving to the eastern part of the state to assist in flood response efforts, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

Beshear, who appeared emotional at a briefing on Friday, said he received a call from Mayfield Mayor Kathy Stewart O’Nan, who told him that Fire Chief Jeremy Creason is driving to eastern Kentucky in an ambulance filled with equipment to help aid in efforts.

Beshear said he spoke with Creason the nightthe tornado ripped through Mayfied in December 2021.

“I was talking to him the night the tornado was going through,” Beshear said. “His folks were out not knowing if they lost their houses or not. That’s the guy that still is rebuilding. They lost their fire station. Think about the amount of work we’re still doing in Mayfield.”

Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said she appreciates President Biden’s swift response inapproving a disaster declaration to help eastern Kentucky after this week’s devastating floods.

“We have 17 counties that have been significantly impacted … and so by declaring a state of emergency, we are going to be able to help – not just now for rescue and recovery missions, but also in the long run as we work to rebuild,” she said.

Coleman said she grieves with those who have lost everything. “I cannot imagine looking for family members, especially children and elderly,” she said.

Coleman said while communications have been heavily impacted, people are getting in touch with each other in “organic” ways, with “neighbors reaching out to neighbors, utilizing social media, and just texting, calling to check on family members.”

Systems are being put in place for how to continue rescue operations, report missing people and provide shelter for those who need it, she said.

Coleman said Kentucky’s biggest need is water and cleaning supplies for the counties most impacted.

Members of the Morehead Fire Department conduct search and rescue operations on July 28, in Jackson, Kentucky.

Nearly 300 people have been rescued followingcatastrophic flooding in Kentucky, Gov.AndyBeshear said Friday.

“There have been over 294 civilians rescued through these operations,” he said. “That number is actually pretty low, because I know we’re way over 100 rescues just from air operations, just from our incredible National Guard.”

Dozens of roads are blocked due to flooding and damage, Beshear said.

“Crews are still hard at work clearing as much mud and debris as they can,” Beshear said.

About 24,000 people are still without power, according to the governor.

“This is a huge natural disaster.Understand, it’s going to do this,” he said.“If you don’t have power, we’re gonna get it up and running.”

At least16 people have diedfollowing devastating floodingin Kentucky, Gov.AndyBeshear said Friday.

“It’s gonna get a lot higher,” the governor said at a briefing.

Deaths have been reported in four counties, according to Beshear.

“I want to thank coroners from all over Kentucky that are pitching in to help as well as our National Guard that is transporting bodies as we find them so that we can identify them,” Beshear said.

“To all the families that know you’ve already sustained a loss, we’re going to support you,we’re going to be here for you —not just today, but tomorrow and in the weeks and then in the years to come,” the governor said.

Kentucky was one of several states, including Missouri and Arizona, that experienced severe flooding on Thursday amid increasingly extreme weather events that areamplified by the climate crisis.

In St. Louis, record-breaking rainfall at the beginning of the week triggereddangerous flash floodsthat have continued for days and left at least one person dead.

As global temperatures climb, the atmosphere is able to hold more and more water, making water vapor more abundantly available to fall as rain.

Rainfall over land has become more intense since the 1980s, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report’s authors say human influence is the main driver.

Human-caused fossil fuel emissions have warmed the planet a little more than 1 degree Celsius, on average, with more intense warming over land areas. Scientists are increasingly confident in the role that the climate crisis plays in extreme weather, and have warned that these events will becomemore intense and more dangerouswith every fraction of a degree of warming.

Members of a rescue team assist a family out of a boat on July 28, in Quicksand, Kentucky.

JerryStacy, the emergency managementdirector for Perry County inKentucky, said the flooding in his area is “unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”

“We’re in a very fluid situation,but just responding to situations asthey come.It’s been very difficult, like the governor said, to evenrespond to some of thesesituations.The water was just unlikeanything we’ve ever seen oreven thought was possible,” he told CNN.

Local agencies are allsolely“fixed on search and rescue right now,” he said.

“It’s been difficult to respond,” he said. “We’re working hard to rescue as many people as we can.”

“Anybody that wants to volunteer can,” he said. Rescue efforts are being coordinating out of the National Guard Armory in Perry County, Stacy said.

Kermit Clemons helps his ex-wife Lana Clemons retrieve family items in Hazard, Kentucky, on Thursday, July 28.

Hazard, Kentucky, Mayor Donald “Happy”Mobelinitold CNN on Friday morning that“today will be the sad day” as historic flash flooding claimed at least 15 lives in the state.

The city of Hazard is in Perry County, which reported at least two deaths from the flooding on Friday.

“People’s houses have been flooded that have lived there for 50, 75 years … no water has ever been close to them, and the water, that’s how fast it came up and how powerful it was,” Mobelini said.

The mayor said residents and officials are “so overwhelmed, we don’t really know what to ask for.”

The mayor told CNN that seven of the city’s nine bridges are impassable. “That’s unheard of,” he said.

The National Guard and local agencies continue to rescue people from the floodwaters.

Mobelini said those who were rescued were taken to an airport and then to a shelter.

The mayor told CNN that when he went to sleep on Thursday night, a bus was picking up 50 people from the airport. No official number on the number of those rescued has been provided.

President Biden approved a disaster declaration for Kentucky amid deadly flooding, according to a statement from the White House.

“Federal funding is available to commonwealth and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures in the counties of Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, and Wolfe,” according to the statement.

“Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire commonwealth,” the statement added.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has named Brett H. Howard as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas, the statement said.

The North Fork Kentucky River gauge, located in Jackson, Kentucky, crested around 2:30 a.m. ET this morning at 43.47 feet, setting a new record.

The previous record crest was 43.10 feet, set on Feb. 4, 1939. Water levels are still in major flood stage but are forecast to gradually decrease over the next 24 to 48 hours. The current forecast has the river at this location dropping to moderate flood stage by tonight and below flood levels by Saturday evening.

A flood warning is in effect until noon ET for portions of Floyd, Knott, Letcher and Pike counties, according to the National Weather Service office in Jackson.

Jackson is downstream of the hardest-hit flood areas from earlier this week.

Rain and thunderstorms will gradually push out of eastern Kentucky by this evening and a break in the rain is forecast on Saturday. The next round of heavy rain is forecast to arrive Sunday into Monday, which could re-aggravate river flooding across the area into next week.

As of Friday morning, there are more than 24,000 customers who do not have power in Kentucky, according to poweroutage.us.

The hardest-hit areas include Letcher and Knott counties, with over 12,000 and 8,000 outages, respectively.

etucky Gov. Andy Beshear told CNN on Wednesday that 15 people have died due to flooding in the eastern part of his state, and that number is expected to double.

He said the toll includes children.

“This is so deadly, and it hit so hard, and it hit in the middle of the night,” the governor said, adding that although eastern Kentucky often floods, “we’ve never seen something like this.”

Beshear said that hundreds of Kentuckians have lost everything they have.

He said that homes were “completely swept away in the middle of the night possibly while they were sleeping.”

Rescuers are still unable to get to people who are trapped due to roads being washed out and covered in water, he added.

Search-and-rescue efforts will continue today and into tomorrow, Beshear said.

The National Guard from multiple states is assisting rescue efforts. According to the governor, 50 aerial rescues and hundreds of boat rescues have been made.

“I know we’re strong. I know we’ll band together. In Kentucky, we open our homes and our hearts to each other, and that’s what we’re doing right now,” he said.

Beshear said it could take a year to rebuild.