Several Kentucky communities were hit with flash flooding on Friday and are prepping for yet another round of storms – with the potential for more widespread flooding – to hit this weekend.
So far, one Kentuckian has died from Friday's flood. In a social media post, Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed a 9-year-old boy in Frankfort died after he was swept away by floodwaters while walking to his bus stop.
In Christian County, officials said first responders rescued people from 12 homes impacted by flash floods – as well as 40 animals that were being kept at a pet lodge in Hopkinsville. Parts of downtown Hopkinsville were also flooded – with many drivers needing to take detours to avoid water over some of the main roads.
But Judge Executive Jerry Gilliam warned during a press conference Friday afternoon that the area likely wasn't through with heavy rain and flooding just yet.
"We're not out of the woods. Our anticipated forecast for the next 24 hours, and even further, is our main concern. We are looking at record-level flooding. So we want everyone to be safe," Gilliam said.
According to gauge readings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the south fork of the Little River in Hopkinsville rose around 4.3 feet from just after midnight to 8:30 a.m. on Friday, crossing into a major flood stage and causing some flooding issues for homes, properties and roads near the waterway. The gauge measured 21.2 feet at its peak Friday morning – up from around seven feet Wednesday evening.
Christian and Graves counties each declared states of emergencies on Friday due to flooding impacts in their areas. Ballard County declared a state of emergency Wednesday after an EF-2 tornado touched down in the county, injuring four people.
Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency for the entire Commonwealth on Wednesday ahead of a multi-day series of severe weather events. On Friday, President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky for the storms that started on April 2, which makes federal assistance available to supplement storm response efforts in impacted areas.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service office in Paducah said more thunderstorms would arrive in western Kentucky Friday and that a "dangerous and historic rainfall event" would continue into Saturday night, which could lead to potential "catastrophic flash flooding" in the region.
In a press conference Friday, Beshear encouraged people to plan ahead for potential floods.
"We need people to make good decisions for themselves and their loved ones and everybody else," Beshear said. "If you live in an area that floods, if you live in an area that could flood – because we are going to see areas that never flood flood during this event – go stay with somebody else over the next two days."
Officials across the state are warning residents to avoid driving on flooded roads, and to turn around if they see water blocking a road.
Hopkinsville Fire Chief Steve Futrell said people should stay off the roads if possible. If they need to drive, Futrell said they should heed the warnings that are on the roads.
"We have been on emergency calls this morning and seen people drive around barricades into our emergency scenes because they think that that's okay. It's not. It causes lots of issues," Futrell said.
Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said search and rescue teams from Virginia, Maryland, Alabama and Vermont would be positioned across the state this weekend to aid local first responders in relief efforts.
Up-to-date forecast information for western Kentucky can be found on NWS Paducah's website.
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