Death toll climbs to 13, rescues ongoing in hard-hit Kentucky amid devastating flooding
Water levels continue to rise across Kentucky and other parts of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic regions, which are already reeling from a deadly coast-to-coast winter storm. Now, the situation is set to worsen as another major storm threatens snow and dangerously cold weather.
The storm, which hammered several states with severe weather and heavy rainfall over the weekend, has claimed at least 13 lives-one person died when a tree fell on a home in Atlanta, another in West Virginia, and 11 in Kentucky including a mother and a 7-year-old child who were in a car stuck in high water.
Clarksville Fire Rescue members perform water rescues to evacuate trapped people during flooding on February 16, 2025 in Clarksville, Tennessee. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
Emergency teams from the Kentucky National Guard and Kentucky State Police conducted over 1,000 rescues and first responders went "door to door" in flooded zones to ensure everyone's safety, said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during a Monday press conference
In just under 24 hours, a deluge exceeding a month's worth of rain inundated Kentucky, triggering the lethal floods. Despite the end of the rainfall, the flooding danger persists as waterways remained swollen, Beshear added.
Beshear declared a state of emergency on Friday ahead of the storm to get approval for a federal disaster declaration that made federal aid available to affected areas, including ongoing search and rescue operations.
"There are still people at risk," Beshear emphasized Monday, noting that rescue operations were ongoing, even though they believed they had reached "many, if not most" of those affected by the floods, which have closed more than 340 roads, a potentially record number.
"Some rivers haven't yet crested, and our emergency operations are particularly focused on those areas-especially in Martin County, where we may need to relocate over 100 people to safer locations," he added.
Stream and river levels will keep rising over the next few days in some areas, potentially causing new flooding.
"Levels on the progressively larger rivers in the region may continue to rise well into early week. Officials may need to take preventative action in some communities or be prepared to act quickly as waters rise," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Kentucky's recent flood crisis comes two years after devastating floods claimed 43 lives and ravaged parts of the state.
Kentucky was not alone in facing severe flooding. Over the weekend, five flash flood emergencies were issued in parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.
A truck sits in flood waters along the Cumberland River, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
One such emergency occurred when floodwaters breached a levee in Obion County, Tennessee, on Sunday. The county was under a state of emergency, with mandatory evacuations in Rives, Tennessee, according to Obion County Mayor Steve Carr.
More areas could face similar situations in the coming days as river levels continue to rise.
In Virginia, flooding combined with recent snow and ice exacerbated an already perilous situation by adding a hypothermia risk for anyone caught in the frigid waters. This risk will become more prevalent as temperatures drop this week.
In Indiana, drone footage showed homes and roads submerged in floodwaters amidst snowy conditions on Sunday. "It floods here every year, but it's been a while since it's been this bad," said Hardinsburg resident Shelby Sandlin in a Facebook post.
In Atlanta, one person died in the Grove Park area overnight Sunday when a large tree fell on a home during intense thunderstorms, Atlanta Fire Rescue Capt. Scott Powell said on Sunday. Fire officials found the person trapped inside the house around 5 a.m. EST, but they ultimately succumbed to their injuries, Powell added.
The storm also caused widespread power outages, affecting more than 500,000 homes and businesses. As of Monday morning, most of the outages in the Southern states had been restored. More than 200,000 customers remained without power farther north where snow fell across the mid-Atlantic region, according to PowerOutage.us.
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
National Hurricane Center's Florida outlook is clear. What is Tropical Storm Barbara?
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Once maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, what it is called is determined by where it originated: : for storms in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific. : for storms in the Northwest Pacific. : for storms in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. We will update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Center tracks tropical wave as Florida stays in the clear
