JACKSON, Ky. — Search and rescue teams backed by the National Guard are searching flooded Appalachian communities for missing people. Record floods have wiped out entire communities in some of the poorest places in America.
Kentucky’s governor said 16 people have died, a toll he expects to grow as the rain keeps falling.
The Kentucky River crested six feet above its previous record. Entire towns that hug creeks and streams in narrow valleys were swallowed up.
The water swept vehicles into useless piles, crunched runaway equipment against bridges and swamped homes and businesses.
Mudslides on steep slopes have left many people marooned and without power, making rescues difficult.
ST. LOUIS — Heavy rains brought another round of flooding to the St. Louis region, prompting firefighters to help dozens of people escape the floodwaters.
No injuries were reported from Thursday’s flooding, but the St. Louis Fire Department said on Twitter that it responded to 75 flooding-related emergencies and 60 people were rescued or helped to safety.
Among the rescues, the department said firefighters carried six children to safety from a daycare at Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church, where 15 children and three adults reportedly were trapped.
The storms that began Thursday afternoon didn’t drop as much rain as storms Tuesday, but they hit as the region was already recovering from widespread flooding brought by those storms.
Because of poor cell service and the rural nature of the area, it's difficult to know how many people are still unaccounted for. https://t.co/iREBWnEzIh
— KSDK News (@ksdknews) July 29, 2022
Father Paul Sheridan has been a priest at St. Louis University High School for 47 years. When water reached the seat of his car, he got out and fled to safety. https://t.co/1kEk01bO9U
— KSDK News (@ksdknews) July 29, 2022
