Three of the deaths came in hard-hit Madison County, according to Coroner Jimmy Cornelison. The fourth death was reportedly in Jackson County involving a vehicle collision during the strong storm.
Two of the deaths in Madison County were suspected of drowning, according to the Richmond Police Department. They responded to a call regarding flooded homes with individuals trapped inside.
Several residents of flooded homes in the area were located or evacuated, the police said.
However, they could not make contact with anyone in one basement residence that was already underwater. Rescue teams later found a man and woman dead from suspected drowning, the coroner said.
Another victim was extracted from a vehicle trapped in floodwaters on Tates Creek Road near Lexington, the coroner’s office said.
Carlos Coyle, the deputy Madison County coroner, said search and rescue teams were going door to door searching for victims in hard-hit areas. Some areas still were not accessible, he said.
The identifies of the victims have not been released.
Earlier Saturday, Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency after widespread flooding across Kentucky. He said more fatalities will likely be reported as another round of rainfall is predicted for Saturday evening.
Ten inches of rain were predicted in some areas as storms pound the state.
Bullitt, Madison, Meade, Mercer and Spencer counties and the city of Richmond all declared state of emergency.
(Photo: Bluegrass Energy)
On the Net:
original article on Kentucky Today
