Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said there could be “many more” deaths from devastating flooding in the eastern part of the state. “It’s going to get worse. And I think we’re going to update it, maybe even for the next few weeks… There are still so many people missing. And in this area, it’s going to be difficult to find a consistent number of people missing,” he said in an interview of CNN. At least 25 people have died in the flooding so far, Beshear said earlier Saturday. In a briefing later in the afternoon, Beshear outlined the death toll by county: four in Breathitt County, two in Clay County, 14 in Knott County, two in Letcher County and three in Perry County. Beshear noted during the news conference that authorities now believe “there are only four children in this group, not six.” “The original two children reported to us have turned out to be adults now,” he said. “These are still two people who are missing and we are grieving for them, but we wanted to make sure we got our latest information.” He said rain is forecast again later Sunday, so rescue teams are moving as quickly as possible. “The water is still high in some counties. It’s plumed in most, but not all. The water systems are overwhelmed, so either there’s no water or it’s unsafe water that has to be boiled. Think of the toilets in entire counties. We have a hospital that has no water. So, real challenges out there. And we’re still in this thing. Even though it stopped raining — and thank God it stopped raining — we’re still in search and rescue mode,” Beshear told CNN. “For now, the forecast looks like counties below the Mountain Parkway, another inch to possibly two inches, which could be rough. That’s expected to move through parts of Monday and then clear up,” he added in the update. “The challenge after that, it’s going to get really hot as we go through the week.” National Guard units from Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia have conducted more than 660 air rescues and more than 600 water rescues, Beshear told CNN. Rescuers with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife are also on the front lines of recovery efforts, he said. “They ended up having to collect the bodies more than anyone else,” Beshear said. “The mission was particularly challenging and what they are experiencing first hand is extremely stressful and difficult.”
Although search and rescue operations continue, the governor noted that officials are already preparing to help those displaced. “To everyone in eastern Kentucky, we will be there for you today and in the weeks, months and years to come. We will get through this together,” Beshear said in a tweet Saturday. “This is the kind of flooding that even a flood-prone area has never seen in our lifetime,” Beshear told CNN after returning from an aerial tour of the flooding in Breathitt County on Friday.