(LEX 18) — A state of emergency was declared for several eastern Kentucky counties after devastating flooding hit the area late Wednesday night into Thursday.
In an interview with LEX 18, Gov. Beshear confirmed at least 15 people have died as of Friday morning and he expects that number will likely rise.
At least 14 counties and three cities have declared local states of emergency: Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Letcher, Owsley, Pike, Lee, Perry, Leslie, Magoffin, Martin, Johnson, Knott, and Wolfe counties; and the cities of Beattyville, Paintsville, and Salyersville.
Where to find shelters + aid in eastern Kentucky:
SHELTERS:
The following counties have set up shelters across the area:
BREATHITT:
Breathitt Co. Courthouse
FLOYD:
Floyd Co. Community Center
HAZARD:
First Presbyterian Church, East Perry Elementary, West Perry Elementary, Gospel Light Baptist Church, Second Creek Church of God, Buckhorn Lake State Resort Lodge
PIKE:
Thacker Memorial Funeral Home, Shelby Valley High School
STATE PARKS:
Buckhorn: Experiencing power outages and road obstruction from washout and debris. When the lodge is functional it will serve as an emergency shelter as well.
Jenny Wiley: providing temporary housing for 128 people, occupying 36 rooms and two cottages, and four campers. Rooms are booked, but campgrounds are still available.
Pine Mountain: Four rooms available for temporary housing.
There are ten shelters, four organized by the Red Cross, and six are independent.
- Donate to the Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund. The funds will be used to provide long-term relief to individuals directly impacted by this historic flooding in eastern Kentucky. Donations will help with food, shelter, and other necessities of life and supplement emergency funds that come into the area.
- Appalachian Regional Healthcare is accepting bottled water, non-perishable food items, and cleaning supplies. Drop-off is located at 2260 Executive Drive, Lexington, Ky 40505. Drop-off hours on Friday are 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday are from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
If you wish to report a missing loved one in the counties of Breathitt, Perry, Knott, Letcher, or Leslie, Kentucky State Police ask that you contact the correct number to call based on your county.
Please note phone lines are extremely busy right now and it may take multiple calls to get through.
Thousands were still without power early Friday morning. Most impacted counties include Letcher, Knott, & Perry. Check the latest power outages here.
There are approximately 23,000 power outages reported. Call Kentucky Power at 800-572-1113 to report hazards.
Kentucky Power warns customers to stay away from all downed lines. Never touch downed power lines, no matter how harmless they look. Never touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences, or puddles of water since they can conduct electricity.
