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At least 24 dead as historic flooding leaves towns underwater after barrage of severe weather
At least 24 people in seven states have been killed due to the severe weather or flooding, including children and first responders.
President Donald Trump approved emergency disaster declarations for Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide additional support for communities grappling with the scope of the historic disaster.
“I just want to stress that we do not want to lose another individual,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference on Monday. “Remember. This event is not over until the waters have receded. Until the areas that are flooded are fully dry. Until we don’t have saturated ground that could create mudslides over roads and bridges.”
Beshear said on Monday that more than 500 roads across the state were closed due to historic flooding, mudslides, and landslides.
The Buffalo Trace Distillery, located on the banks of the Kentucky River in Frankfort, was temporarily closed this week because of catastrophic flooding.
Days of relentless downpours caused the Kentucky, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers to surge out of their banks.
A dramatic drone video provided an overhead look at the muddy water surrounding America’s oldest continuously operating distillery.
“We will be closed through Thursday, April 10th, at a minimum,” the distillery said on social media. “As this is a rapidly unfolding situation, visits may be impacted beyond that time, and we will continue to provide updates as they are available. Due to the unprecedented and ongoing rain and flooding, we are not able to advise on the impact to our total distillery footprint.”
Another drone video showed a Kentucky highway underwater amid the historic flooding.
The video provided by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office showed a highway in Glendale submerged in the murky floodwater from the nearby Nolin River.
In the video, electrical lines stand in feet of water.
As the camera pans, water sits across the highway, where the yellow dividing line fades into the abyss, and only the guardrails remain visible.
Tennessee flooding leads to mandatory evacuations
The historic flooding that has plagued communities in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys has led to mandatory evacuations in Tennessee.
Dyer County Mayor David Quick issued mandatory evacuation orders for Cocklebur and surrounding communities in Bogota due to the significant flooding impacts in the community.
The evacuation order was posted to Facebook, and includes all residents east of Highway 78.
“We understand that this is a difficult situation, but your safety is paramount,” Quick said. “Please take this order seriously and evacuate immediately.”
The order also had a dire warning — those who don’t comply with the evacuation order may not be able to receive help from first responders.
NewYork post