In the United States, at least eight people died when a strong storm swept the state of Kentucky, causing floods that flooded streets, roads and houses, Governor Andy Beshear said on Sunday (16). Another person died in Georgia, said a local authority.
The rescuers are now in a search and rescue operation and performed more than 1,000 redemptions in less than 24 hours, Beshear said. The governor described the storm as “one of the most serious climate events we deal with in at least a decade.”
Video images captured in various states show overthrown trees, submerged vehicles on floods and flooded houses, with widespread road reports,
Water levels reached historical maximums in Kentucky when the storm gained strength on Saturday, authorities said two years after a catastrophic flood that left 43 dead and devastated parts of the state. Beshear called the impact on the state “massive” on Sunday and cited “hundreds of aquatic rescues” and “multiple fatalities.”
“We need the Kentuckians to remain alert. There are over 300 road closures, with leaders (state transportation) saying that the impact throughout the state is historical, ”Beshear posted on social networks. “From landslides in the east to snow in the west, the situation is dangerous. Please plan in advance, avoid traveling and get safe, Kentucky, ”said the governor.
Deaths include at least one child, Beshear said. “We believe this number will grow,” he said. He asked the Kentuckians to stay away from the roads, adding that several of the deaths were attributed to motor vehicle accidents.
Beshear declared a state of emergency at Kentucky before the storm on Friday and Sunday thanked President Donald Trump for approving a federal disaster statement, providing federal aid financing to the affected areas.
The severe climate event will continue for a few more days, ”said Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson on Sunday. Beshear warned of continuous floods, including flooding on the banks of the river in the coming days.
“Cold water temperatures can result in fast hypothermia for anyone affected by flood,” warned the National Meteorology Service office in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Throughout the country, more than 10 million people remain on a warning of winter storm that will last until Monday morning (17), from the north of the state of New York to New England.
A resting house in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, about 16 kilometers from the Kentucky border, was forced to evacuate the residents on Saturday due to the elevation of the waters, according to Macon County emergency medical services.
Several agencies helped in the effort to safely take 52 residents to another installation, where they will remain until water levels fall, said the County EMS.
Between 3 and 5 inches of rain fell into Ohio and Tennessee valleys, with isolated cases of more than 6 inches.
Parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee were under emergencies and sudden flood alerts until Sunday morning.
Flood alerts in some areas will continue until Monday. Several tornado alerts were issued at Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee on Saturday night, before the storm advances to Georgia on Sunday morning.
At least 265,000 customers in Georgia, 183,000 at Alabama, 64,000 at Mississippi and 20,000 at Louisiana were out of power at 8:30 am, Brasilia, according to Poweroutage.us. About 60,000 were also in the dark in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee.
At noon, electricity was restored in many parts of Georgia and Alabama, but almost 44,000 customers in North Carolina and South Carolina were out of power.
A 73 -year -old Manchester resident Kentucky died in the Horse Creek area after being taken by the flood waters on Saturday night, authorities said. The man was driving at Kentucky Highway 8, according to Clay County Coroner’s Office. He was taken by the strong chains after leaving the vehicle, the coroner told the CNN.
Two more people were confirmed killed in Kentucky after a vehicle was taken by the water amid a sudden flood around 10:30 pm on Saturday in Hart County, according to a report from the National Meteorology Service.
And in Georgia, a person died in the Grove Park area in Atlanta at night when a large tree fell over a house in the “tremendous storm activity” in the area, said Captain Scott Powell of Atlanta Fire on Sunday . Firefighter units responded to a call to 911 made shortly before 5 am and found a person trapped inside the house, he said.
“There was a prolonged operation to remove that person. Unfortunately, it resulted in a fatality, ”said Powell.
It seems that the storm will decrease by Monday, but parts of the large lakes may be covered by snow resulting from the lake effect.
