By Daniel Trotta
(Reuters) – Severe weather killed eight people across Kentucky after storms dumped more than 8 inches (200 mm) of rain on parts of the state, with water rescues continuing on Sunday as the rain turned into slushy snow, officials said.
Governor Andy Beshear reported six floodwater-related deaths, including those of a woman and a child in central Hart County, and two from vehicle accidents.
“Kentucky, we are seeing dangerous and life-threatening conditions across the state, and things are only going to get tougher due to widespread flooding and incoming weather,” Beshear told a briefing on Sunday.
Heavy rainstorms battered multiple states, mostly on Saturday.
More than 128,000 homes and businesses remained without power in Virginia as of Sunday afternoon, with tens of thousands more outages in each of Georgia, West Virginia, Alabama and North Carolina, according to PowerOutage.us.
In Atlanta, one man was killed early Sunday when heavy storms brought down a tree that crashed into his home as he slept, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, citing a fire department spokesperson.
Most of the storm had moved off the Mid-Atlantic Coast by Sunday afternoon, National Weather Service meteorologist David Roth said, with fierce wind accompanying lower temperatures.
Swift water rescue teams deployed throughout the state, with 19 of them still active in eastern Kentucky, Beshear said.
Wolfe County posted images of its search and rescue team paddling through the street in an inflatable raft, bringing people and at least one dog to safety. Rescuers in red jumpsuits and white helmets waded through waist-high water to reach one home.
The city of Manchester’s fire department reported rescuing 14 people and eight animals as of Sunday.
“These guys worked tirelessly throughout the day and night yesterday for over twelve hours responding to call after call with no break,” the city posted on Facebook.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; editing by Diane Craft)
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