At least eight people area dead following one of Kentucky’s most severe weather events “in the past decade,” Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday during a press conference.
The deaths occurred in south central Kentucky, where flooding was much more severe than in Northern Kentucky, which saw mostly snow and wind.
Multiple warnings were in effect over the weekend, with rain and flooding fears in NKY turning to caution over snow and icy roads.
Kenton County issued a Level 1 snow emergency, effective Feb. 16, starting at 9:50 a.m., until rescinded.
Campbell County issued a Level 2 Snow Emergency due to dangerous winter weather conditions, including snow and icy roads.
Read more about what the different levels of snow emergencies are here.
“Kentucky, we are seeing dangerous and life-threatening conditions across the state, and things are only going to get tougher due to widespread flooding and incoming weather,” Beshear said in a news release. “Please stay alert and check on your neighbors. We will get through this together.”
In Hart County, three people were confirmed dead, including one man as a result of a car crash and a woman and child who were swept away in flood waters, according to LINK nky partners WCPO and LEX18.
Another man died in a motor vehicle accident in Nelson County. 73-year-old Donald Keith Nicholson of Manchester was pronounced dead from an accidental drowning Saturday night, and a Pike County man also died as a result of flood waters. A woman in Washington County is also dead, but authorities are unsure of the cause.
The state expects those numbers to grow. According to Beshear, most of those fatalities were a result of people driving through high waters. He urged drivers to never enter flooded roadways, reiterating to “turn around, don’t drown.”
Over 1,000 rescues have happened, and they expect rescues to continue through the next 24 hours, especially in eastern Kentucky. Hundreds of rescues alone have happened in Pike County, potentially the storm’s hardest-hit area.
Just under 150 people are currently staying in state park facilities right now: 86 adults and 56 kids are temporarily calling Jenny Wiley State Park home.
Anyone with immediate needs but that are not life-threatening can complete the Rapid Needs Assessment Form or call 502-607-6665. These needs include: power is out or inconsistent; no heat or very little heat; individuals with medical needs or disabilities; no food or unable to cook; no or very little drinking water; unable to leave the house due to weather and no transportation; phone issues; unable to leave the vehicle; checking on a loved one; and more.
