A mother and her 7-year-old daughter are among at least nine people dead in Kentucky after severe flooding struck the state, officials said on Sunday.
The mother and child were swept away Saturday night in Kentucky’s Bonnieville community after their vehicle was completely submerged in floodwater, Hart County Coroner Tony Roberts said.
Roberts said the child’s body was recovered later Saturday night, while Hart County Search and Rescue said the mother’s body was recovered Sunday afternoon, WNKY-TV reported. The identities of the mother and child were not immediately released.
Most of the deaths in Kentucky were caused by cars getting stuck in high water, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday.
SOUTHEAST MET WITH DANGEROUS FLOODING WHILE NORTHEAST BRACES FOR SNOWSTORMS
“So folks, stay off the roads right now and stay alive,” he said. “This is the search and rescue phase, and I am very proud of all the Kentuckians that are out there responding, putting their lives on the line.”
Beshear said there have been 1,000 rescues across the state since the storms began Saturday. The storms knocked out power to about 39,000 homes, but Beshear warned that harsh winds in some areas could increase outages.
FLOODING LEADS TO LEVEE FAILURE IN TENNESSEE, 9 DEATHS IN KENTUCKY WITH HIGH-WATER RESCUES CONTINUING
Parts of Kentucky and Tennessee received up to 6 inches of rain, said Bob Oravec, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service.
Photos posted by authorities and residents on social media showed cars and buildings underwater in south-central and eastern Kentucky.
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President Donald Trump approved the state’s request for a disaster declaration, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts throughout the state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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