Eastern Kentucky Prepares For More Flash Floods

Residents of eastern Kentucky are bracing once again for more storms just as they begin to clean up from deadly floods that killed at least 35 people and left hundreds missing.

As much as four inches of rain fell Sunday, and the National Weather Service expects there to be isolated thunderstorms and damaging winds going into Monday evening.

“There is severe storm potential today and all of the impacted areas,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. “You think about how saturated the grid ground has been. It could knock over poles, it could knock over trees.”

National Weather Service

Beshear noted the progress made in restoring phone service, and that search and rescue teams now have access to areas that were previously unreachable.

According to Beshear during an update Monday morning, 14 emergency shelters assisted 483 residents, with 150 other residents being housed in state parks.

Residents of Breathitt, Clay, Knott, Letcher and Perry Counties who were affected by the storms starting in July can apply for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

They can go online to https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or call 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-621-3362. Beshear hopes to expand the assistance to residents in all the flooded counties.

A high pressure system could bring some hot weather on Wednesday, which could help dry portions of the region.