Governor Andy Beshear announced on Saturday that four individuals have lost their lives following severe flooding caused by heavy thunderstorms throughout Kentucky. In response to the tragedy and the prospect of continuing rainfall, the governor has officially declared a state of emergency across the region.
According to reports from the National Weather Service, flash flood warnings remained active on Saturday for portions of both Indiana and Kentucky due to intense precipitation. Meteorologists noted that some areas in southwestern Indiana had already recorded between 4 and 10 inches of rain, while official projections indicated that parts of Kentucky could face up to 7 inches of rain by late Saturday evening.
Governor Beshear confirmed via social media that the fatalities included three people in Madison County and one individual in Jackson County. Officials from the Madison County coroner’s office reported that two of the victims, a man and a woman, were discovered deceased inside their residence after floodwaters surged into a section of Richmond, Kentucky, leaving residents stranded.
A third victim was recovered from a vehicle that had become immobilized in floodwaters along Tates Creek Road in the vicinity of Lexington, according to the coroner’s office. Deputy Madison County Coroner Carlos Coyle stated that search and rescue teams are currently conducting door-to-door operations to locate potential victims in the most severely impacted areas, though some locations remain difficult to access.
Beshear highlighted the severity of the infrastructure damage, noting that significant portions of the road network in Madison County are submerged. He reported that at least 12 state-maintained roads have been rendered impassable due to the flooding. The governor emphasized that emergency crews have performed numerous water rescues from both homes and vehicles throughout the commonwealth. He urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid traveling, particularly after dark, due to poor visibility and the persistence of heavy rain.
In the northwestern part of the state, emergency management officials in Bullitt County directed residents living along a rural road to evacuate as a precautionary measure following a landslide at a dam embankment. Officials confirmed that the dam remained stable with no signs of an imminent collapse, noting that the area had received approximately 3 inches of rainfall over the preceding two-day period.
