Kentucky floods kill four as rescues continue

Flash flooding from powerful thunderstorms has killed four people in Kentucky, prompted a statewide emergency declaration and forced rescue crews to pull people from flooded homes and vehicles, officials said Saturday.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the deaths included three people in Madison County and one in Jackson County after storms dumped as much as 7 inches of rain in parts of the state. “Please join Britainy and me as we pray for their families during this difficult time,” Beshear said in a social media post.

Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison said the three people who died there were adults whose identities had not been publicly released. One was killed in a weather-related car accident, he said. The other two, a man and a woman, died in a flooded basement. Cornelison described all three as roughly 40 to 59 years old.

Beshear declared a state of emergency Saturday as floodwaters spread across the commonwealth. In a video message, he urged residents to stay off roads after dark, saying a motorist had been swept away and killed.

“We know we’ve already lost at least a handful of Kentuckians. I don’t want to lose any more. Be safe, everyone,” he said.

The governor said the storms were more severe than expected, bringing 6 to 7 inches of rain in some areas. Heavy rain was expected to continue until about 11 p.m. ET, though officials remained concerned about waterlogged roads, downed trees and debris even after rainfall eased.

“This is a serious flooding event, where teams have already had to conduct multiple water rescues from vehicles and homes across the commonwealth,” Beshear said in a statement. “As more heavy rain continues through late tonight, we need folks to remain alert and to avoid driving, especially after dark when there is limited visibility.”

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings Saturday for parts of Kentucky and Indiana, and many Kentucky counties remained under a flood watch through Saturday night. By late Saturday, parts of southwestern Indiana had already received between 4 and 10 inches of rain, with more possible, the weather service said.

Five Kentucky counties — Bullitt, Madison, Meade, Mercer and Spencer — declared local states of emergency. Beshear said five search-and-rescue teams had been sent to the Madison County area, and high-axle vehicles were being used to help reach people trapped by water. An emergency landing station for flood victims opened at Madison Home, a local shelter.

In Bullitt County, northwest of central Kentucky and just outside Louisville, emergency officials urged some residents near Lebanon Junction to evacuate to higher ground. NBC News reported that the county described the situation Saturday as a “moderate dam failure.” The Guardian, citing emergency management officials, reported that residents of a rural road were asked to leave as a precaution after a landslide at a dam embankment, and that the dam was holding with no indication of imminent failure.

Bullitt County later said on Facebook that “flood waters may be starting to recede in some areas, but the danger is not over.” The area had received about 3 inches of rain over two days, according to the National Weather Service.