Ky. Gov. warns of incoming rain during historic flooding

Najuma WilkinsonAugust 6, 2022

Bonnie Combs stands by and watches her property become covered by the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Ky., Thursday, July 28, 2022. Flash flooding and mudslides were reported across the mountainous region of eastern Kentucky, where thunderstorms have dumped several inches of rain over the past few days. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

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UPDATED 1:30 PM PT – Saturday, August 6, 2022

Kentucky entered a second week of recovering from the devastating floods that displaced thousands of people. On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear updated the public on the rescue efforts. He said that 37 people have died and thousands more left homeless, but progress is being made in stabilizing communities.

However, Beshear said people in the region aren’t out of the woods yet. Storms on Friday will be capable of producing very heavy rainfall rates, prompting the Weather Prediction Center to issue a slight risk level of excessive rainfall for the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys into the Mid-Atlantic. For portions of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, WPC says Friday is “more of a higher end slight risk with isolated to scattered flash flooding likely, but less confidence on a more widespread/organized risk.”

“Biggest concern today is weather we have a slow moving thunderstorms that could lead to heavy rainfall at times through Saturday,” said Beshear. “Rain and thunderstorms could lead to isolated scattered instances of flash flooding in eastern Kentucky today and tonight. And more rain is forecast through midweek.”

Thunderstorms could produce locally heavy rainfall today and Saturday, where instances of flash flooding is possible. pic.twitter.com/CghbYaobmq

— NWS Jackson KY (@nwsjacksonky) August 5, 2022

The governor said officials were focused on conducting wellness checks Friday due to concerns about slow moving thunderstorms that could lead to heavy rainfall on Saturday. He added that nine cooling centers remain open in different counties as heat conditions are expected to increase after the storm.

Beshear said President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit east Kentucky on Monday to meet with families affected by the devastation of the flooding and survey recovery efforts at the local Disaster Recovery Center, operated by the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“While we have thousands that lost their home that we need to stabilize, steady progress is being made and real, significant progress especially over the last eight days,” Beshear stated.

The governor also warned of an impending high heat wave coming in behind the rain reminding residents that there are cooling centers open in case of power outages.