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. More rainstorms are forecast in coming days as rescue crews struggle to get into the hard-hit areas, which include some of the poorest places in America. President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster, seeking to speed relief money to the needy. The flooding is the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges afflicting parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis earlier in the week. Scientists warn that climate change is making weather disasters more common.
Patricia Colombo, 63, of Hazard, Kentucky, became stranded when her car stalled in floodwaters on a state highway. Colombo began to panic when water started rushing in. Though her phone was dead, she saw a helicopter overhead and waved it down. The helicopter crew radioed a ground team that plucked her to safety.
It’s the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges that have pounded parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis earlier this week and again on Friday. Scientists warn climate change is making weather disasters more common. President Joe Biden said in a social media post that he spoke Friday with Beshear and offered the federal government's support. Biden also declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties in West Virginia where the flooding downed trees, power outages and blocked roads. Virginia Gov.
“It's a battle of extremes going on right now in the United States,” said University of Oklahoma meteorologist Jason Furtado. “These are things we expect to happen because of climate change. ... A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor and that means you can produce increased heavy rainfall.” Just to the west in hard-hit Perry County, authorities said some people remained unaccounted for and almost everyone in the area suffered some sort of damage.