Jackson - The death toll from flooding in eastern Kentucky rose to 37 on Tuesday as more rain hampered recovery operations and possible severe weather overnight threatened to provoke further damage.
“We are ending the day with more heartbreaking news out of Eastern Kentucky. We can confirm the death toll has now risen to 37, with so many more still missing,” tweeted Andy Beshear, governor of the south-central US state.”
“Let us pray for these families and come together to wrap our arms around our fellow Kentuckians,” he added. Beshear has said he expects the death toll to continue to rise as search and rescue teams fan out across flood-hit areas and recover more bodies.
Their efforts were hampered by more rain on Monday, with a series of new storms forecast to arrive overnight. “If things weren’t hard enough on the people of this region, they’re getting rain right now,” Beshear said earlier in the day. “There is severe storm potential today in all of the impacted areas. “That is just not right.”
The National Weather Service issued flood watches for most of eastern Kentucky for the evening and into Tuesday morning, warning that “a complex of storms is expected to move over the region tonight.”
“Heavy rain rates which could lead to flash flooding along with severe thunderstorms are possible,” the weather agency tweeted.
Last week, some areas in eastern Kentucky received more than eight inches (20 centimeters) of rain in a 24-hour period, provoking unprecedented flash flooding.
“We are ending the day with more heartbreaking news out of Eastern Kentucky. We can confirm the death toll has now risen to 37, with so many more still missing,” tweeted Andy Beshear, governor of the south-central US state.”
“Let us pray for these families and come together to wrap our arms around our fellow Kentuckians,” he added. Beshear has said he expects the death toll to continue to rise as search and rescue teams fan out across flood-hit areas and recover more bodies.
Their efforts were hampered by more rain on Monday, with a series of new storms forecast to arrive overnight. “If things weren’t hard enough on the people of this region, they’re getting rain right now,” Beshear said earlier in the day. “There is severe storm potential today in all of the impacted areas. “That is just not right.”
The National Weather Service issued flood watches for most of eastern Kentucky for the evening and into Tuesday morning, warning that “a complex of storms is expected to move over the region tonight.”
“Heavy rain rates which could lead to flash flooding along with severe thunderstorms are possible,” the weather agency tweeted.
Last week, some areas in eastern Kentucky received more than eight inches (20 centimeters) of rain in a 24-hour period, provoking unprecedented flash flooding.
