Catastrophic flash flooding impacting Eastern Kentucky

If you haven’t turned on the news this morning, there’s a serious situation happening in Eastern Kentucky. Overnight, several inches of rain fell in Breathtitt, Floyd, Perry, Knott, Leslie, Pike, and Magoffin counties, causing historic and catastrophic flash flooding. All morning, pictures of the devastation have been making the rounds on social media, along with reports of water rescues and people trapped on top of their homes.

Drone shots of the #Flooding in #Kentucky after it the water has receded several feet. #KyWx pic.twitter.com/UPgp6XRzx4

— WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms) July 28, 2022

Please pray for my Buckhorn folks and everyone affected by flooding last night from back home. I love you all pic.twitter.com/8nXww572VT

— Bill Deaton (@Bi11y_D) July 28, 2022

Massive roadway flooding in Hazard, KY @JimCantore @Kentuckyweather pic.twitter.com/pVF51UE9WB

— Brandon Copic (@BrandonCopicWx) July 28, 2022

People trapped including children in Hindman, Ky. #FlashFlood emergency continues. First responders are overwhelmed. #KyWx pic.twitter.com/mnhkP9Hy91

— WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms) July 28, 2022

The water is still rising in Eastern Kentucky. @heraldleader @HLpublicsafety pic.twitter.com/8Pyt6QKIKl

— Ryan C. Hermens (@ryanhermens) July 28, 2022

Near Quicksand, Kentucky. @heraldleader @HLpublicsafety pic.twitter.com/2ty3XxwPZQ

— Ryan C. Hermens (@ryanhermens) July 28, 2022

According to the Kentucky Mesonet weather-monitoring system, 3.45 inches of rain has fallen in Breathitt County since midnight, 6.41 inches over the past 24 hours. Almost three inches have fallen since midnight in areas of Letcher and Pike counties. In Whitesburg, Kentucky, the North Fork of the Kentucky River rose seven feet in just three hours. According to PowerOutage.us, over 23,000 customers are without power across Breathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Perry, and Pike counties.

Governor Beshear: “We expect a loss of life”

Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency this morning. In a press conference, Beshear said this is “one of the worst flooding events” in state history, and in many areas, the waters haven’t crested yet.

“We expect a loss of life,” Beshear said. “Hundreds will lose their homes and this is going to be yet another event that it’s going to take not months but likely years for many families to rebuild.”

Lonnie Rowe, the former girls basketball coach at Shelby Valley and father of Kentucky Women’s Basketball player Cassidy Rowe, has been sharing his experience this morning on Twitter.

Pray for our neighborhood. We are about to get washed completely off🙏. Never had water like this in our neighborhood before and it’s getting worse

— Lonnie Rowe (@coachrowe20) July 28, 2022

Not good pic.twitter.com/zLwVb4kDvD

— Lonnie Rowe (@coachrowe20) July 28, 2022

The bad part of this mess is there is only one way out and it’s a bridge that is under water. We were promised a new bridge by our county (been promised for years) and it never happened. pic.twitter.com/bJr9h6H7Aq

— Lonnie Rowe (@coachrowe20) July 28, 2022

Just devastating. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our friends in Eastern Kentucky.