Flooding takes toll on southern, eastern Kentucky: Here’s what officials are seeing

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Torrential rain across the Bluegrass on Saturday left southern and eastern Kentucky counties flooded, with the weather pattern set to last into Sunday.

From Bowling Green to Hazard, community leaders and law enforcement officials have posted photos of road conditions and flood damage on social media alongside warnings to residents statewide to avoid travel if possible.

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In Hazard, city leaders posted on Facebook urging residents to stay indoors and avoid roads in the area.

“As of about 2:00 pm, the water has now covered the Dance Floor of the Cavern Nite Club, the first landing, and the River Walk,” Lost River Cave staff wrote on Facebook, sharing a video with the cave’s entrance barely visible through the rain and flooding. “We’ll have our hands full once it comes time for clean up when the water recedes.”

Hazard officials encouraged those in the city to be mindful of their surroundings, look out for their neighbors, and stay safe.

Around 2 p.m. on Saturday, the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department posted that Turkey Creek was closed after high water led to a vehicle getting stranded.

As of 6:15 p.m., the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s traffic hazard map shows that over 145 roads in the state are closed due to weather conditions.

Southern Kentucky rescue teams have been conducting water rescues throughout the day. Around 12:25 p.m., the Richland Fire Department reportedly helped Knox County rescue teams carry four people and several dogs to safety.

Around 4 p.m., the East Bernstadt Fire Department in Laurel County posted on Facebook that fire and rescue crews used a boat to get two people out of a building in the area of Bullock Road.

Around that time, fire crews in Harlan reported that the north main floodgate had been closed.

Pikeville 911 Dispatch wrote around 4 p.m. on Saturday that at least six roads in the county were covered by standing water.

London Mayor Randal Weddle took to Facebook on Saturday, informing residents that he had asked the Department of Public Works to shut down a road in the area of Levi Jackson Park that had flooded.

As of 7 p.m. on Saturday, nearly 7,500 Kentucky customers are experiencing power outages. The majority of these outages are spread throughout Clay, Pike, Leslie, Knott, and Letcher counties. The state’s power outage map can be viewed here.

Just before 6:30 p.m., the Clay County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to the public that roads covered by flood waters may have been washed away by the current and asked residents in the area not to try to drive on them.

On Friday, Gov. Beshear issued a state of emergency for Kentucky ahead of the flooding. Many southern counties across the Commonwealth remain under a flood watch, and residents are advised to seek elevated shelter and stay indoors.

If you need emergency assistance, dial 9-1-1. If you need help during a non-emergency, state and local authorities ask that you call your local law enforcement’s 911 dispatch number. The latest weather information and forecast updates can be found by downloading the FOX 56 Weather Authority App.