The President of the United States (USA), Joe Biden, announced this Friday the declaration of a state of emergency in the state of Kentucky (east), affected by floods that have already caused 15 deaths, tens of thousands of displaced people and direct damages to 25,000 inhabitants.
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In a statement, the White House declared the territorial entity a major disaster area and confirmed the federal aid that will be provided to the state to deal with the natural contingency.
Its governor, Andy Beshear, confirmed the death toll to the press and said that it could double in the next few hours. He said the fatalities include the elderly and probably children as well.
Although the evaluation is still in the preliminary phase, Beshear appreciated that “the damage suffered is enormous and the recovery (of the state) will be a long-term effort.”
He reported that there are at least a dozen collapsed bridges in Perry County and that the rains have devastated entire towns such as Whitesburg or Hazard.
The National Weather Service (NWS) announced that this Friday morning the section of the Kentucky River where the city of Jackson is located reached the highest level ever recorded, 13 meters, which exceeded a record dating from 1939 .
.@POTUS has approved my initial request for a disaster declaration in Kentucky. This is great, much-needed news for Eastern Kentucky. This federal funding is critical for our recovery efforts and Kentuckians impacted by the historic flooding.
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear)
July 29, 2022
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Media outlets point out that the greatest damage is concentrated in the central and eastern regions of Kentucky, which is facing the worst flooding in decades.
On the morning of this Friday, 24,157 homes and businesses were registered without electricity supply in Kentucky, and another 6,789 in the same situation in Virginia, according to data reflected on the PowerOutage.us platform.
Beshear also recalled that this Thursday he declared a state of emergency throughout the state, which includes flood alerts for the entire territory and the mobilization of National Guard troops, who will use their means of transport to help trapped people, among other measures.
The flooding situation in Eastern Kentucky is ongoing, with a flood watch in effect through today. Heartbreakingly, we can confirm at least 15 deaths, but we expect that number to grow. Over 23,000 Kentuckians are without power. 1/3 https://t.co/mrx4htJY0k
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear)
July 29, 2022
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According to weather forecasts, heavy rains are expected this Friday and new floods on Saturday in some areas of the state. In addition, it was warned about possible landslides, given the high saturation of the soil.
Other press reports indicate that, in addition to central and eastern Kentucky, rapid floods also occurred in watercourses in western Virginia and southern West Virginia.
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