Hindman, Q. ( Associated Press) — The death toll from widespread flooding in Kentucky rose to 26 on Sunday amid a renewed threat of more heavy rain.
Andy Beshear of Kentucky Gov. said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that one more person has died in the storm since Saturday.
Beshear has said the numbers are likely to rise rapidly and it could take weeks to find all the victims. At least 37 people are reported missing, according to a daily report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In addition, the National Weather Service reported that more flash floods are expected in some areas of Appalachia on Sunday and Monday as the latest storms pass. Rain rates of 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 centimeters) per hour were possible in some areas that were submerged last week.
According to FEMA, a dozen shelters have been set up for Kentucky flood victims with 388 occupants as of Sunday.
Beshear said state police are taking calls from concerned people who are unable to locate loved ones due to intermittent phone service.
“We still can’t go to some areas to check on people,” Beshear said. “We are increasing the presence of our National Guard. We’re going to go door-to-door, working to find as many people as we can. We go to work even in the rain. But the weather is making it difficult.”
On a cloudy morning in the town of Hindman, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) southeast of Louisville, a team cleared debris from a storefront. Nearby, a vehicle was in Troublesome Creek, which had returned to its rubble-strewn channel.
President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to funnel aid money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.
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John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia contributed to this report.
