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The death toll from severe flooding in eastern Kentucky rose to 28, including several children, and the governor said more were expected as search and rescue teams went door-to-door in the Appalachian foothills to assess the damage.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Bescher (D) announced the latest death toll in a news release Sunday night.
“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 release. “At the same time, we have started down the long road to eventual recovery.”
Earlier on Sunday, Bescher said rescue teams were still searching for survivors as the rain resumed and that authorities had unconfirmed reports of additional deaths.
Because of dangerous conditions such as downed power lines as well as unstable cell phone service, he said some affected areas were inaccessible and the state did not have a “firm idea” 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 mile plus from where they were lost,” Bescher told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
The Lexington Herald-Leader put the death toll at 33 Sunday night, based on reports of additional deaths from two county coroner’s offices.
In some families, everyone in their household died, the governor said. The state is doubling the National Guard to search for victims, he said.
Among the most tragic stories is the death of four siblings who climbed onto their roof to escape the rising floodwaters. After the roof collapsed, the family clung to tree branches, according to a story in the Herald-Leader. War water swept away the children.
The disaster resulted in 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 said it could take years for the region to recover. Kentucky Power said on Twitter that as of noon Sunday, power had been restored to about 50 percent of the customers who lost it.
According to a news release Sunday evening, 359 survivors are temporarily housed in 15 shelters and two state parks and campgrounds.
The flooding in Kentucky was caused by 1-in-1,000-year rainstorms, which scientists say are emblematic of the type of extreme weather that will become more frequent as the Earth warms.
Explanation: How two 1 in 1,000 year rain events hit the US in two days
On “Meet the Press,” Bescher addressed the extreme weather — including December’s unusual tornado surge that devastated parts of Kentucky and other states — and said officials must ensure that “our roads, our bridges, our culverts, our flood walls’ can withstand greater intensity.
Rural water and wastewater systems are easily overwhelmed, he said, and upgrading their infrastructure is “so expensive.” He said the U.S. bailout and bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed last year are “a good start” and allow the state to afford improvements “that we haven’t been able to do before.”
“But if we really want to be more sustainable, it’s going to take major federal investment as well as here in the state,” Beshear said.
The National Weather Service is predicting several rounds of rain and storms for the area Sunday through Tuesday, with possible flash flooding. A “short dry spell” is expected on Wednesday, but Thursday could bring more rain.
Bescher urged residents to take precautions.
“The next few days are going to be tough,” he said in the YouTube video. “We have rain and maybe even a lot of rain hitting the same areas. Please pray for the people in these areas and if you are in areas that will be affected by rain, make sure you are safe. Make sure you have a place that is higher. Go to a shelter.”
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