Nearly a foot of rain has devastated portions of eastern Kentucky this week, leaving more than a dozen people dead and a community working to rescue neighbors before cleanup can even begin.
Recovery efforts will ramp up as floodwaters recede, but more rain is expected over the weekend. Conditions were too treacherous Friday morning for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to survey flooding damage on the ground. Instead, he and federal officials opted for an aerial tour over Breathitt County.
As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Beshear said 25 people are confirmed dead. But others remain unaccounted for, so that number is, unfortunately, expected to rise.
President Joe Biden approved an initial request for a disaster declaration in 13 Kentucky counties including Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Wolf counties. Federal funding is critical to recovery efforts for Kentuckians impacted by the historic flooding.
If you're looking to help, WRDB covering Eastern Kentucky has assembled the best organizations to use -- from the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Go to https://bit.ly/3Q3MuIY to review the list and get links to their pages.
Categories: Kentucky, Business