Catastrophic flooding has swept through Kentucky, leaving at least four people dead and turning roads into rivers as severe storms entered their third day on Sunday. The weather system prompted a state of emergency for Kentucky and Indiana on Saturday.
More rainfall is anticipated Sunday, with forecasts predicting an additional three inches of water from Owensboro to the Tennessee border. A flash flood warning is in effect for Clinton, Cumberland, and Metcalfe counties until approximately 11 a.m. Central Time. Previous warnings covered Adair, Barren, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, Hart, Metcalfe, and Russell counties.
In Cumberland County, approximately six inches of rain fell overnight, rendering roads unsafe for travel, according to County Judge Luke King. He urged residents to stay home unless their travel was essential, citing the danger posed by compromised roads and underground water.
"We have roads all over the county that have been compromised and more still that we can't yet see. Water over the roadways is a problem, but it's what's happening underground that gives all of us even more pause for concern," King stated on Facebook. He emphasized that staying home would reduce the risk to first responders.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed the deaths of three individuals in Madison County and one in Jackson County. The Madison County fatalities included a man and a woman who drowned in a flooded home's basement and a third person who died in a weather-related car accident. The victims were all between 40 and 59 years old.
Search and rescue teams have been deployed across the commonwealth, with multiple water rescues conducted from vehicles and homes. In Bullitt County, near Louisville, residents on a rural road were advised to evacuate as a precaution due to a landslide at a dam embankment, though the structure remained stable. Between Friday and Saturday, some areas received up to 12 inches of rain within 48 hours, leading to at least 12 state roads becoming flooded and inaccessible, with numerous bridges reportedly washed out.
The Owensboro Fire Department's Swift Water Rescue Team has been dispatched to assist in affected areas. The National Weather Service noted that areas from Owensboro to the Tennessee border could receive an additional three inches of rain on Sunday.