Another round of rain hits flooded kentucky Mountain communities emerged on Monday as more bodies emerged from the landscape, and the governor warned that high winds could bring another danger – falling trees and utility poles.
Governor Andy Beshear said the death toll rose to 35, and hundreds remained unaccounted for five days after nearly a foot of rain fell in one of the country’s poorest areas. The water flowed down the hills and into the valleys and potholes, which engulfed the whole city. Mudslides put some people on the steep slopes.
Radar indicated that 4 more inches (10.2 cm) of rain fell on Sunday, and the National Weather Service warned that slow-moving showers and thunderstorms could lead to more flooding by Tuesday morning.
“If things weren’t hard enough for the people of the region, it’s raining them now,” Mr Beshear said at the Capitol in Frankfurt on Monday.
“The way high winds are related – think about how saturated the ground has become – it can knock at the poles, it can knock on trees. So people need to be careful.”
An approaching heat wave means “it will be even more difficult once the rains stop,” the governor said. “We need to make sure people are stable up to that point eventually.”
Chris Campbell, president of the Letcher Funeral Home in Whitesburg, said he had begun arranging burials for those who died.
“These people, we know most of them. We are a small community,” he said of the city, about 110 miles southeast of Lexington. “It affects everyone.”
His funeral home recently buried a 67-year-old woman who suffered a heart attack while trying to escape from her home when the waters rose. Mr Campbell knew his lover very well, he said.
On Monday, he was visiting the family of a husband and wife in their 70s, people he also knew personally. It is difficult to explain the magnitude of the loss, he said.
“I don’t know how to explain it or what to say, to be completely honest,” he said. “I can’t imagine what they’re going through. I don’t think we really have the words for it.”
Mr Campbell said his 90-year-old grandmother lost her entire house. She managed to escape to the neighbor’s house with some photographs. She said that in the house she has been living in since 1958, everything else is gone.
More than 12,000 utility customers remained without electricity. At least 300 people were living in the shelters.
Floods spread over parts of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia and western Virginia last week, receiving 8 to 10 1/2 inches (20 to 27 cm) of rain in just 48 hours.
The disaster was the latest in a string of devastating floods that have affected parts of the US this summer, including St. Scientists warn that climate change is making such incidents more common.
The flood waters also washed away some of the region’s irreplaceable history. Appleshop, a cultural center known for chronicling Appalachian life, was assessing extensive damage in its repository, where historical documents and artifacts were taken out of the building.
Visiting the disaster area on Sunday, Mr Beshear said he saw how people were helping their neighbours.
“These are wonderful people. They’re hurting, but they’re strong. And it’s amazing to see them helping each other, even when they have nothing left,” he said.
According to US National Guard bureau chief General Daniel Hokson, about 400 people have been rescued by helicopter.
“In light of the devastation, the response is going very well,” he said on Sunday.
The governor canceled a trip to Israel scheduled for this weekend, saying he cannot travel abroad “while the people of eastern Kentucky are suffering.”
Meanwhile, a nighttime curfew was declared in response to reports of looting in two devastated communities – Breathit County and the nearby town of Hindman in Nott County.
Breathet County declared a countywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., County Attorney Brendan Miller said in a Facebook post Sunday evening. The only exceptions were for emergency vehicles, first responders and people traveling for work.
“I hate imposing curfew, but looting will not be tolerated at all. Our friends and neighbors have lost a lot. We cannot stand by them and allow them to lose what they have left,” the post said.
Breathit County Sheriff John Hollan said the curfew decision came after 18 reports of looting. He said people were stealing from private property where houses were damaged. No arrests have been made.
Hindman Mayor Tracy Nice also announced a sunset to sunrise curfew due to looting, television station WYMT informed of. Officials said that both the curfews will remain in force till further notice.
Last week’s flooding spread to parts of West Virginia and Virginia. President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to flood-stricken counties, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency was helping.
Another relief effort came from the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team, which planned an open practice and a charity telethon at Roop Arena on Tuesday.
Coach John Calipari said players approached him about the idea.
“The team and I are looking forward to doing what we can,” said Mr. Calipari.