Kentucky’s governor says it could take weeks to find all the victims of flash flooding that killed at least 16 people when torrential rains swamped towns across Appalachia.
As rainfall hammered Appalachia this week, water tumbled down hillsides and into valleys and hollows where it swelled creeks and streams coursing through small towns. The torrent engulfed homes and businesses and trashed vehicles. Mudslides marooned some people on steep slopes.Rescue teams backed by the National Guard used helicopters and boats to search for the missing.
Extreme rain events have become more common as climate change bakes the planet and alters weather patterns, according to scientists. That’s a growing challenge for officials during disasters, because models used to predict storm impacts are in partwith increasingly devastating flash floods and heat waves like those that have recently hit the Pacific Northwest and southern Plains.
The floodwaters raging through Appalachia were so swift that some people trapped in their homes couldn’t be immediately reached, said Floyd County Judge-Executive Robbie Williams. “We’ve still got a lot of searching to do,” said Jerry Stacy, the county's emergency management director.More than 330 people have sought shelter, Beshear said. And with property damage so extensive, the governor opened an online portal for donations to the victims.The governor got a look at the flooding from aboard a helicopter Friday.
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