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| Photo Credit: AP. |
Eight persons were reported dead Thursday following severe flooding in Kentucky’s central Appalachia.
Torrential rains brought about devastating floods which took over people’s homes and displaced many.
Water flowing
from hillsides flooded out of streambeds, inundating homes, businesses and
roads throughout eastern Kentucky, The Associated Press reports. The floods was
particularly disturbing in parts of western Virginia and southern West Virginia
prompting crews to use helicopters and boats to pick up people trapped by floodwaters.
Death toll rises to 8 after flooding - Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
In a tweet
Thursday evening, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state’s death toll from
flooding had risen to eight and called for prayers for the region.
“In a word,
this event is devastating,” Beshear said earlier in the day, according to The
Associated Press. “And I do believe it will end up being one of the most
significant, deadly floods that we have had in Kentucky in at least a very long
time.”
Beshear
warned of widespread property damage in Kentucky and said officials were
setting up a site for donations that would go to residents affected by
flooding.
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| Photo Credit: AP. |
The governor
lamented that continued rainfall hampered rescue efforts Thursday, according to
The Associated Press.
“We’ve got a
lot of people that need help that we can’t get to at the moment,” Beshear said.
“We will.”
Flash floods and mudslides reported in eastern Kentucky
Flash
flooding and mudslides were reported across the mountainous region of eastern
Kentucky, western Virginia and southern West Virginia.
“There are a
lot of people in eastern Kentucky on top of roofs waiting to be rescued,”
Beshear said earlier Thursday, The Associated Press reported. “There are a
number of people that are unaccounted for and I’m nearly certain this is a
situation where we are going to lose some of them.”
Over 31,000
customers were left without electricity in eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and
Virginia, The Associated Press cited a report by Poweroutage.us.