Authorities in Kentucky confirmed by Friday that at least 19 people have been killed by flooding in the eastern part of the state where small towns were hit with heavy rain and flash flooding this week.
Gov. Andy Beshear's office said the deaths include an 81-year-old woman, 11 other people in one county alone including two children, and two others in a separate county along with two additional people in yet another county. The locations of the dead show just how widespread the flooding became.
Gov. Beshear said rescue workers estimate it could take weeks to find all of the flood victims. The rain continued to hit eastern Kentucky into Friday before letting up giving rescue workers and residents a small reprieve.
In a press conference on Friday, Gov. Beshear noted that four others of the confirmed dead have now been identified as children, saying, "I have received notice that we've located the bodies of those four children. Mentioned in the Herald-Leader story today, and I know we'll be contacting those parents. [It] means we've got at least six dead children, and it's hard. It's even harder for those families and those communities," he said.
As cleanup efforts begin from the flooding, a relief fund has beenlaunched to help in those efforts.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced the Team eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund to help those affected by severe flooding.
If you are interested in donating, you can click here. Donation amounts are possible from $5 and up. If donors would like to mail in money, they can find information about how to send a check in on Kentucky's donation website.
All donations to the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund are tax-deductible, so be sure to ask for a receipt to use for tax purposes.
This story was originally published by WLEX in Lexington, Kentucky, with additional reporting from the Scripps National Team.
