• Three people have been confirmed dead from the floods as of Thursday afternoon. 
  • More than 25,000 people in the state were without power as of Thursday morning. 
  • Gov. Andy Beshear said a "number" of people are unaccounted for and that he expects deaths to be in the "double-digits."

Three people are confirmed dead as parts of eastern Kentucky have been submerged under rising flood waters after heavy rain drenched the area Wednesday, with forecasts predicting more storms through Friday. 

"We are currently experiencing one of the worst, most devastating flooding events in Kentucky's history," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a press conference Thursday.

One of those who died was an 81-year-old resident of Perry County, Beshear said. 

"I expect double-digit deaths in this flooding," Beshear said during the afternoon press conference. 

Video from the Lexington Herald-Leader showed homes completely submerged by the floodwaters. 

 

Over 25,000 people in the state were without power Thursday afternoon, Beshear said. Restoration is likely going to take "several days," according to Kentucky Power.

Beshear declared a state-wide state of emergency Thursday morning to open up resources to impacted areas. The Kentucky National Guard was deployed to help state agencies rescue stranded residents — including a number of people seeking refuge from the rising water on their roofs. 

"There are a lot of people in Eastern Kentucky on top of roofs waiting to be rescued," Beshear said. "There are a number of people that are unaccounted for and I'm nearly certain that this is a situation where we are going to lose some of them."

Maj. Gen. Hal Lamberton of the Kentucky Nation Guard said rescue efforts are underway for a number of people they've identified in need of help, including some teachers at a school in Breathitt county trapped in the building. 

Video from social media showed a school in Buckhorn, Kentucky, disappearing under the floodwaters. 

 

The flooding is the latest in a series of extreme weather events across the US this summer. Residents of St. Louis are attempting recover after more than 9 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, creating fatal flood waters. In the Pacific Northwest, residents are nearing the end of a week of extreme heat that prompted heat warnings for over 85 million Americans. 

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