LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The entire state of Kentucky is under a federal emergency. Hard rains pummeled the state Saturday and then brought snow on Sunday. So far, nine people are confirmed dead. Governor Andy Beshear has said there have been more than 1,000 water rescues. Kentucky Public Radio's Justin Hicks has been reporting on the flooding from Louisville and joins us now. Hi, Justin.
JUSTIN HICKS, BYLINE: Hey. Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: Good morning. So no part of the state was spared by this latest storm. Can you tell us about some of the places that were hit hardest?
HICKS: Yeah, that's correct. So statistically, western Kentucky got the most rain. It's relatively flat. It got about 7 inches of rain in just about a day, which is a ton. It does seem like the most lasting damage, though, is going to be in eastern Kentucky, the more mountainous region. And that's probably where people are seeing most of these photos from.
And meteorologists say the impact is just because of the topography. Western Kentucky has these big rivers, like the Green River. They can swell, but they're slower moving. In the Appalachian Mountains, flash floods can come from water racing down those mountains. They happen really suddenly, and they can be really hard to anticipate. And so that's what we're dealing with. It's also worth noting there's a lot of mountainous counties in western Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. They're also dealing with flooding, too.
FADEL: Now, eastern Kentucky also experienced severe flooding back in July 2022. How does this compare to that?
HICKS: Yes. I've been told there's some key differences. One emergency manager told me he seems like there's less damages to houses but more damage to roads and bridges this time around.
FADEL: OK.
HICKS: But also, compared to '22, people are just more prepared. Officials and meteorologists made sure to give lots of warnings. And also, most of this rain came during the day, so people weren't caught off guard or asleep, like they were back then. I talked to Gigi Neace in a little town called Busy, Kentucky. And she's actually survived both of these floods. In '22, she lost her home to a mudslide. And then she moved to a totally different place, built her house on a 10-foot-high foundation, and she thought that would be enough. But then Saturday, the water rose so much, she had to call 911 and be rescued by a boat.
GIGI NEACE: I know how that water runs. I know how it flows, you know, 'cause I've seen it all of my life. So that's why when we built where we did, I knew there was a potential for flooding, but not like this.
FADEL: So what do the next few days look like for Kentucky?
HICKS: Yeah. So the rivers are really high still. And in some cases, they're actually still cresting as the water's gushing from all those tiny streams towards the Ohio River, our main river here on the border of the state. And in the meanwhile, people have just jumped into action helping their friends and family. For most of them, this is not their first disaster. I mean, they know the drill. You clean up the debris, and you document everything for insurance and FEMA claims. And then meanwhile, search and rescue teams are still out for a few days, probably. Emergency managers are also trying to clear the roads of debris, mudslides, rockslides, and just trying to get to folks who are stuck up in hollers. They also need to restore drinking water and get those backed-up sewer systems running again. Of course, those things could take some time.
The big thing we're watching here in Kentucky is a snowstorm. That's actually expected to hit us in a few days, Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. That's supposed to leave somewhere 2 to 8 inches of snow. And that's going to complicate things. And already, temperatures have dropped a lot, and they're supposed to stay below freezing for the rest of the week.
FADEL: OK, Justin, stay warm. Say inside.
HICKS: Yeah. Thank you.
FADEL: That's Justin Hicks with Kentucky Public Radio. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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