Several counties in Eastern Kentucky hit with massive flooding

Emergency crews were rescuing people from rooftops Thursday morning, following massive rainfall in portions of southeastern Kentucky, and Gov. Andy Beshear said he expected the death toll to be in double digits.

The areas affected include Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Letcher, Owsley and Pike counties, where local officials issued states of emergency. The governor also issued a state of emergency.

Hal Klingenberg, of the National Weather Service, told WEKU that the city of Hazard was hard hit with more than 8 inches of rain over the last 24 hours. Other areas had up to 10 inches of rain.

“Flash flooding and mudslides were reported across the mountainous region of Eastern Kentucky, western Virginia and southern West Virginia, where thunderstorms have dumped several inches of rain over the past few days,” The Associated Press reported

“What we’re going to see coming out of this is massive property damage,” AP reported Beshear said during a briefing Thursday. “We expect the loss of life. Hundreds will lose their homes and this is going to be yet another event that it’s going to take not months but likely years for many families to rebuild and recover from.”

Beshear mobilized the Kentucky National Guard to the region. He said more than 23,000 households did not have power, and the state was working with cellphone service providers to restore service. 

The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky is accepting online donations to help people affected by the flooding. 

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.