Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll had risen to 37 and hundreds of people remained missing for five days after one of the nation’s poorest regions was inundated by nearly a foot of rain. The water poured down hillsides and into valleys and hollows, swallowing entire cities. Mudslides threw some people down steep slopes. Beshear suggested that many of the missing will be located when cell service is restored. “When cell service comes back, we see a lot of people finding people they love and care about, so we’re looking forward to those stories,” he said. Radar showed up to 4 more inches (10.2 cm) of rain fell on Sunday, and the National Weather Service warned that slow-moving showers and thunderstorms could cause more flooding by Tuesday morning. “If things weren’t hard enough for the people in this area, it’s raining right now,” Beshear said Monday at the Capitol in Frankfort. “As alarming as the strong winds are – think about how saturated the ground was.” The wind “could knock over poles, could knock over trees. So people have to be careful.” An approaching heat wave means “it’s going to get even tougher when the rain stops,” the governor said. “We have to make sure that people are finally stable up to that point.” Chris Campbell, president of Letcher Funeral Home in Whitesburg, said he has begun handling burial arrangements for people who have died. “We know most of these people. We’re a small community,” he said of the town about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southeast of Lexington. “It affects everyone.” His funeral home recently buried a 67-year-old woman who suffered a heart attack while trying to escape her home as the water rose. Campbell knew her boyfriend well, she said. On Monday, she met with the family of a husband in his 70s, people he also knew personally. He said it was difficult to explain the magnitude of the loss. “I don’t know how to explain it or what to say, to be completely honest,” he said. “I can’t imagine what they are going through. I don’t think there are words for it.” Campbell said his 90-year-old grandmother lost the entire house where she has lived since 1958. She managed to escape to a neighbor’s house with only a few photos. Everything else is gone, he said. More than 12,000 customers remained without power. At least 300 people were staying in shelters. The flooding was unleashed last week when 8 to 10 1/2 inches (20 to 27 centimeters) of rain fell in just 48 hours in parts of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia and western Virginia. The disaster was the latest in a string of devastating floods to hit parts of the US this summer, including St. Louis. Scientists warn that climate change is making such events more common. Meanwhile, overnight curfews were declared in response to reports of looting in two of the damaged communities – Breathitt County and the nearby town of Hindman in Knott County. Breathitt County has declared a countywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The only exceptions were for emergency vehicles, first responders and people traveling for work. “I hate to have to impose a curfew, but looting will absolutely not be tolerated. Our friends and neighbors have lost so much. We cannot stand by and allow them to lose what they have left,” County Attorney Brendon Miller said in a Facebook post. Breathitt County Sheriff John Hollan said the curfew decision came after 18 reports of looting. He said people were stealing from private property where houses were damaged. No arrests have been made. Hindman Mayor Tracy Neice also announced a sunset-to-sunrise curfew due to looting, television station WYMT reported. Both curfews will remain in effect until further notice, officials said. Last week’s flooding extended into parts of West Virginia and Virginia. President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to flooded counties, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency helped. Another relief effort came from the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team, which planned an open practice Tuesday at Rupp Arena and a charity telethon. Coach John Calipari said the players approached him about the idea. “The team and I are looking forward to doing everything we can,” Calipari said.
Associated Press writers Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky. Gary B. Graves in Lexington, Kentucky. Mike Pesoli Airborne with the National Guard. Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia. and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.
