Eight months after powerful tornadoes ripped through west Kentucky, another tragedy has befallen the Commonwealth.
Thursday morning, Governor Andy Beshear announced a state of emergency directed at Appalachia and the eastern portion of the state — which over the last week has seen record rainfalls create a deluge of catastrophic proportions.
By Thursday afternoon, Beshear said there will be an online portal almost identical to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund. It will be called the “Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund,” and it will be located online at teamekyfloodrelieffund.ky.gov.
At least six counties have declared local states of emergency: Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Letcher, Owsley and Pike, with more rains likely on the way and other counties potentially inundated. As of Thursday afternoon, much of this region had received no less than eight inches since Monday, and several places are reporting more than one foot.
Beshear said there have already been at least sixteen attributable deaths in this disaster, and that officials are expecting “double digit” deaths with a large number of individuals either unaccounted for or unreachable as phone lines and electricity remain largely interrupted.
Much like the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund, Beshear said these early hours of the disaster can be mitigated with monetary donations — but bottled water and cleaning supplies immediately come to mind as things needed right away.
More than 23,000 homes are currently without power and/or cell phone service. And for a point of reference, the National Weather Service is reporting that Pike County has no less than a 30% chance of rain every day through at least Wednesday, August 3.
For those in west Kentucky with family members or friends in these counties, Beshear is urging all missing persons calls to be directed to Kentucky State Police Post 13 by phone at (606) 435-6069.
