Storms Continue to be Forecast for Eastern Kentucky

Aug. 9, 2022
These floods begun more than a week ago and according to The National Weather Service, and there is still a threat of thunderstorms in the region for most of the rest of the week.

The National Weather Service extended a flood watch through Aug. 14 evening for areas of eastern Kentucky damaged by high water.

These floods begun more than a week ago and according to The National Weather Service, and there is still a threat of thunderstorms in the region for most of the rest of the week.

"Between July 25th and July 30th, 2022, several complexes of training thunderstorms developed south of I-64 and brought heavy rain, deadly flash flooding, and devastating river flooding to eastern Kentucky and central Appalachia," according to The National Weather Service. "These thunderstorms, at times, caused rainfall rates in excess of 4 inches/hr across complex terrain that led to widespread devastating impacts. While it did not rain continuously during this 4-day stretch, the overwhelming amounts of rain and resultant flooding led to at least 37 deaths (as of August 2nd) and widespread catastrophic damage. Entire homes and parts of some communities were swept away by flood waters, leading to costly damage to infrastructure in the region."

AP News reported that there is a threat of thunderstorms through Aug. 11 that could produce heavy rain and cause flash flooding. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and his wife, Britainy, at a Federal Emergency Management Agency State Disaster Recovery Center in eastern Kentucky to survey the damage and meet with those affected.

According to The National Weather Service, there is a flood watch from Aug. 9 to 10 that could pour heavy rain on saturated soil.

“It does look like high pressure will finally build in and we’ll get a reprieve from this really wet and muggy air mass that we’ve been dealing with for a couple of weeks now,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Philomon Geertson, reported AP News.

The federal government promised more aid for eastern Kentucky, Biden authorized an increase in the level of federal funding for emergency work and FEMA added five counties to those eligible for individual assistance for a total of 12, reported AP News. More than 1,300 people were rescued in the days after the storm, power outages were down to 300 on Aug. 7 and though the number of fatalities is at 37, Kentucky State Police reported at least two people were still missing.

About the Author

Cristina Tuser