By Mark Maynard, Today in Kentucky
Governor Andy Beshear said that a weekend of intense rains triggered significant flooding in eastern Kentucky, which is now reeling from flood waters once more and has killed at least eight people.
Jason Johnson, the Southern Pike Association of Baptists’ associational mission strategist, said several Kentucky Baptist pastors in Pike County were forced to leave their homes on Saturday evening.
Johnson, who has lived in the area his entire life and serves as the pastor of Creekside Baptist Church, remarked, “The river seems bigger than I’ve seen in my life, and I’m 45.”
Roads in Eastern Kentucky, including the Levisa Fork, a tributary of the Big Sandy River, were impassable due to creeks and rivers.
Large areas of northern Pikeville, in Pike County, were inundated as the water overflowed the banks. Water even reached the football stadium’s 50-yard line and surrounded Pikeville High School.
For evacuated families, the school was acting as a refuge, offering food, restrooms, and showers.
Johnson stated that he had already communicated with Ron Crow, the Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief’s director. Crow is already mobilizing volunteer teams and urging Kentucky Baptists to offer prayers for a region that was devastated by flooding less than three years ago. Following the devastating effects of the 2022 summer floods, KYDR volunteers spent several weeks in eastern Kentucky.
Crow stated in an email statement on Saturday night that in addition to the physical flooding that is hurting many towns, the emotional stress will also continue to cause fear and worry in those who have previously been impacted. We want everyone impacted by this tragedy to get assistance, hope, and healing. In order to react when and when necessary, we are trying to activate our teams.
Johnson stated that he was collaborating with KYDR to identify local churches where the teams may stay for their upcoming work in the region. He announced that Creekside will serve as a central location for water, cleaning, and gift card donations. According to him, the best gift cards for anyone wishing to donate are from Walmart, Lowe’s, and Dollar General.
According to Johnson, a number of Baptist churches in Kentucky, including Faith Baptist in Myra, Immanuel Baptist, Elkhorn City Baptist, Virgie Baptist, and Mayflower Baptist, have had severe water damage.
“I’ve lived here my entire life, and I’m from here,” Johnson remarked. This flooding is a serious problem.
Every one of Kentucky’s 120 counties reported flooding, indicating that the situation was catastrophic throughout. Eastern Kentucky was the most severely affected, although other regions fared considerably worse.
Donald Keith Nicholson, 73, of Clay County, was discovered dead in floodwaters on Saturday night. He drove into water that covered KY 80 in the Horse Creek neighborhood, which is close to Manchester, according to officials.
TV station WNKY reported that a 7-year-old kid and her mother perished in Hart County after being carried away by floodwaters. The mother of the child is still not well.
Three people lost their lives in Hart County, two in Pike County, and one in each of the counties of Washington, Clay, and Nelson. Floodwaters were blamed for the deaths, and Beshear warned that more would follow.
More than 300 roadways in Kentucky were closed due to the historic effect of the floods, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
According to Beshear, since 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, the state has been involved in a search and rescue operation that has resulted in over 1,000 rescues.
Clay County’s private Christian school, Oneida Baptist Institute, announced on its Facebook page Sunday morning that the water level at the institution was roughly 6 to 8 inches higher than it was during the 2021 flood.
More than 18,000 customers were without power on Sunday morning, according to Kentucky Power, which reported significant damage from the storm. In the southern portion of Kentucky Power’s jurisdiction, there have been reports of toppled trees, mud slides, and blocked roadways due to excessive water, the company stated.
According to Beshear, there were about 39,000 people without electricity overall.
Beshear wrote on social media, “Kentucky, we are witnessing hazardous and life-threatening conditions throughout the state, and things are only going to get tougher due to widespread flooding and incoming weather.” Later, he spoke about the matter at a press conference.
Federal funds for affected communities became available when President Donald Trump announced a federal emergency for the state on Sunday. Already on the ground is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In addition to earlier severe rains in recent days, Louisville’s National Weather Service stated that the state received an additional 3 to 8 inches of precipitation.
The city of Jackson’s Kentucky River Medical Center closed its emergency room and began moving all of its patients to two other nearby hospitals. In order to decide when it can safely reopen, the hospital stated that it would reassess the situation on Sunday. The weather service predicted that afternoon that the north fork of the Kentucky River would crest almost 14 feet (4.3 meters) above flood level.
Authorities and locals shared images of cars and businesses submerged in south-central and eastern Kentucky on social media. The sheriff’s office in Buchanan County, Virginia, reported that mudslides had closed several roadways.
According to Kentucky’s Simpson County Office of Emergency Management, multiple automobiles were rescued from stalled-out vehicles amid floodwaters.
“If at all possible, stay at home,” the office posted on Facebook.
Pine Mountain, Cumberland Falls, and Natural Park are among the state parks that are housing 122 individuals. According to the governor, Floyd County’s Jenny Wiley State Park is full despite being used.
Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, said the system is also using the Breathitt County campus as a shelter.
Breathitt, Harlan, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Magoffin, and Wolfe counties all have emergency shelters available.
The effects of the downpours would last for some time, according to Bob Oravec, a senior forecaster with the NWS.
He stated on Sunday that whenever there is flooding, it might last for a lot longer than the rain.
