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Jackson (United States) (AFP) – In the United States, floods caused by torrential rains in Kentucky have left at least 15 dead and the number may double, the governor of that south-central state said on Friday.
“It’s devastating. Now the number of Kentuckians we’ve lost is 15 and it’s expected to double and will now include some children,” Gov. Andy Beshear told on Friday, July 29.
He reported that hundreds of people were rescued by boats and half a hundred by National Guard helicopters. “Eastern Kentucky gets a lot of flooding but we’ve never seen anything like that,” Besher said. “People who have been in charge of these things for 20 years say they have never seen such height of water,” she added.
In some areas the deluge left up to 20 centimeters of water in 24 hours. In Whitesburg the water level of the North Fgeorth Kentucky River rose 6 meters surpassing the record of 4.4 meters.
Many highways resembled rivers, wrecked vehicles dominated the landscape, and muddy water reached the roofs of the lowest houses in the Appalachian region.
25,000 homes without electricity
The governor said he has declared a state of emergency in half a dozen counties, and has deployed four National Guard helicopters to help with rescue efforts. “There are many people who need help. We do our best to reach all of them,” he said.
Beshear said some 25,000 homes remained without power across the state, and many without water service. The National Weather Service reported that the area was still at risk of flash flooding and warned that more torrential rains are expected.
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