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The death toll from severe flooding in eastern Kentucky has risen to 28, including several children, and the governor said more fatalities are expected as search and rescue teams go door-to-door in foothills of the Appalachians to assess the damage.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced the latest death toll in a press release Sunday evening.
“We remain focused on meeting the immediate needs of providing food, water and shelter for thousands of our fellow Kentuckians who have been displaced by this catastrophic flooding,” he said in the statement. “At the same time, we have started the long road to eventual recovery.”
Earlier Sunday, Beshear said rescue crews were still searching for survivors as the rain resumed and that authorities had unconfirmed reports of additional deaths.
Because of dangerous conditions, including downed power lines, as well as spotty cell phone service, he said some affected areas are inaccessible and the state does not have a “firm knowledge” of the number of missing.
“With the water level, we’re going to be finding bodies for weeks, many of them swept hundreds of yards, maybe a quarter of a mile away from where they were lost,” Beshear told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” .
The Lexington Herald-Leader put the death toll at 33 Sunday night, based on additional death reports from two county coroner’s offices.
In some families, everyone in their household died, the governor said. The state was doubling the National Guard to search for victims, he said.
Among the most tragic stories are the deaths of four brothers who had climbed onto their roof to escape the rising water. After the roof collapsed, the family clung to tree branches, according to an account in the Herald-Leader. A wave of water swept the children away.
The disaster has caused flash floods, landslides and mudslides. The storms displaced hundreds of residents and caused “hundreds of millions of dollars” in damage, the governor said in a YouTube video posted Sunday. He has said it could take years to rebuild in the region. Kentucky Power reported on Twitter that as of noon Sunday, power had been restored to about 50 percent of customers who lost it.
According to the Sunday evening press release, 359 survivors are being temporarily sheltered in 15 shelters and two state parks and campgrounds.
The Kentucky floods were caused by 1-in-1,000-year rainstorms that scientists say are emblematic of the type of extreme weather that will become more common as the Earth warms.
Explanation: How two 1 in 1,000 year rain events hit the US in two days
On “Meet the Press,” Beshear addressed the extreme weather, including an unusual wave of tornadoes in December that devastated parts of Kentucky and other states, and said officials must ensure that “roads, our bridges, our sewers, our flood walls” of the state. can withstand a greater intensity”.
Rural water and wastewater systems are easily overwhelmed, he said, and improving their infrastructure is “so expensive.” He said the American Rescue Plan and bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed last year were a “good start” and allowed the state to afford improvements “that we haven’t been able to do before.”
“But if we really want to be more resilient, it’s going to take significant federal investment, as well as here in the state,” Beshear said.
The National Weather Service is predicting several rounds of showers and thunderstorms in the area Sunday through Tuesday, with possible flash flooding. A “short dry spell” is forecast for Wednesday, but Thursday could bring more rain.
Beshear urged residents to take precautions.
“The next few days will be tough,” he said in the YouTube video. “We have rain and maybe even a lot of rain that will reach the same areas. Please pray for the people in these areas, and if you are in the areas that will be affected by the rain, please be sure to stay safe. Make sure you have a higher site. Go to a shelter.”