Kentucky Flooding Strands Residents as Rivers Crest

8 Apr at 8:26 pm

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Kentucky Flooding Strands Residents as Rivers Crest \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ After days of relentless rain, rivers across Kentucky surged to near-record levels, flooding homes and cutting off access. Residents, like Susan Williams, are beginning to return as waters slowly recede, but widespread damage and lingering danger remain. At least 23 people have died across multiple states from flooding and tornadoes.

Quick Looks:

Kentucky River nears 1978 record level, flooding Frankfort.
At least 23 people dead across the South from storms.
Governor Beshear urges caution: “Stuff can be replaced. Lives cannot.”
9-year-old in Kentucky died walking to school through floodwaters.
Historic Buffalo Trace Distillery closed due to flooding.
Over 150 tornadoes reported since March 30, NWS says.
Cold temperatures and freeze warnings add to flood dangers.
Flood threat extends into Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Ohio.

Deep Look

Kentucky Floodwaters Cut Off Communities as Storm Death Toll Reaches 23 Across Southern U.S.

Floodwaters surged through Kentucky and neighboring states this week after days of relentless storms swelled rivers to near-record levels and dumped torrential rains across the region. On Tuesday, residents of hard-hit areas like Franklin County anxiously began returning to assess the damage — if they could reach their homes at all.

For Susan Williams, her return meant paddling through brown floodwater in a johnboat with her four dogs and three cats to her rural home near Frankfort, now surrounded by water like a small island.

“It’s my world. It’s my little paradise,” Williams said, describing the home her parents built.

Floodwaters had begun to recede slightly by Tuesday, but officials warned that significant risks remain. At a press conference, Governor Andy Beshear cautioned Kentuckians not to drive or walk through high water to reach flooded homes.

“Even as much as we love our stuff — and sometimes it’s memories and photographs — it’s our lives and the lives of our family and friends that matter,” Beshear said.

Rivers Near Historic Highs

The Kentucky River crested Monday just shy of its record height set in 1978. In Frankfort, city officials rerouted traffic, cut power to businesses, and enacted a curfew. Though water service has been restored, wastewater systems remain down. One of the city’s major landmarks — the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery — was forced to close due to flooding along the riverbanks.

Looking ahead, officials warned of continued flooding along the Ohio River in cities like Henderson and Owensboro, possibly stretching into next week. Swift water rescue teams remain deployed and on standby.

In Louisville, Mayor Craig Greenberg said evacuations have largely concluded, with the Ohio River expected to crest Wednesday at 37 feet, before finally beginning to recede. More than 60 people had to be rescued from a water-surrounded hotel.

Storms Leave Death and Destruction

The deluge is part of a wider wave of extreme weather that has left a path of destruction across the Southern U.S. Since March 30, at least 157 tornadoes have been reported, according to a preliminary National Weather Service report, with 23 confirmed storm-related deaths.

Among the casualties:

A 9-year-old boy in Kentucky drowned after being caught in floodwaters while walking to his school bus.
A 5-year-old boy in Arkansas died when a tree collapsed on his family’s home.
A 16-year-old volunteer firefighter in Missouri died in a crash while attempting to rescue others.

Cold temperatures have worsened conditions for displaced residents. Freeze warnings were issued for Tuesday night into Wednesday, with lows expected in the low 20s across parts of Kentucky and Indiana.

Ongoing Recovery and Rescue

Governor Beshear’s office reported that more than 800 households were still without access to water as of Tuesday, and nearly 4,000 residents were under boil water advisories. While major rainfall has ceased, flooding on large rivers is expected to persist for several days. Smaller creeks and tributaries may begin to recede more quickly.

Rescue teams using inflatable boats have been checking on residents in remote or cut-off communities in Kentucky, Tennessee, and elsewhere, as utility crews work to restore power and gas lines.

“We are still in an active emergency response,” Beshear said. “This is not over yet.”

What’s Driving This Severe Weather?

Meteorologists blame the outbreak of severe storms on a volatile combination of unseasonably warm temperatures, strong upper-level winds, and abundant Gulf moisture — a setup ripe for tornadoes, flash flooding, and hail.

Though the rain has stopped in some areas, rivers across the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio valleys remain swollen. Weather officials warn that further flooding remains likely in Tennessee, Arkansas, Indiana, and parts of southern Illinois in the days ahead.

A History of Severe Storms in Kentucky

This is far from Kentucky’s first brush with climate catastrophe. Just two months ago, 24 people died in storms that swelled creeks and washed over roads. In December 2021, 81 people were killed when a tornado devastated multiple towns in western Kentucky.

In the summer of 2022, historic flooding in eastern Kentucky caused dozens of deaths and widespread infrastructure collapse. More recently, spring storms in 2023 and 2024 brought tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding, contributing to the rising toll from increasingly erratic and extreme weather systems.

What’s Next?

With water slowly retreating, the focus is now turning to cleanup and recovery — and to helping families rebuild in the aftermath of yet another extreme weather event.

While emergency management teams remain active, officials are also urging residents to prepare for further disruptions as more rain is forecast for some areas next week.

The Kentucky Emergency Management Agency is working to open temporary shelters, coordinate disaster assistance, and assess damage reports from homeowners and local governments.