by Sarah Ladd, McKenna Horsley and Liam Niemeyer,
Kentucky Lantern
The three people who died in weekend floods in Madison County have been identified.
According to the Madison County Coroner, John Powell, 57, drowned after his basement apartment flooded. Patricia Beck, 51, died at the same location. Garnett Isbell, 73, died after his car was swept off the highway on Page Creek Road in Richmond in a presumed drowning. A fourth person died in Jackson County.
Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Sunday afternoon update that teams are continuing the search and rescue phase while also starting damage assessments. The death toll remained at four people.
Beshear will make a request for both Public and Individual Assistance from the federal government. He had previously declared a State of Emergency for Kentucky on Saturday.
“This flooding has devastated so many communities across our state and taken the lives of four children of God, gone too soon,” Beshear said in a statement. “While we are still in the search and rescue phase, we are also working quickly to survey damage to submit a request for federal assistance. People have lost their homes and so much more, and this type of support will be essential as we work to recover and rebuild together.”
More than 63 water rescues and evacuations were conducted. In Madison County, which was one of 18 localities that had declared a state of emergency, 17 households were sheltering and 320 homes were without water.
Other counties where states of emergency were declared are Bullitt, Clinton, Cumberland, Garrard, Grayson, Jackson, Jessamine, Meade, Mercer, Metcalf, Spencer and Wayne counties. Cities that declared a state of emergency are Albany, Brandenburg, Burkesville, McKee and Muldraugh.
Through executive order, the governor activated the state’s price gouging laws. Under that, Kentuckians can report price gouging online to the Office of the Attorney General for grossly overpriced goods and services. Beshear also signed an emergency order on Sunday to allow pharmacies in affected areas to issue emergency refills.
The Salvation Army said it delivered emergency cleanup kits, 18-gallon plastic storage totes, personal comfort kits and cleaning supplies on Monday morning.
“While some communities are beginning the recovery process, the impacts of this flooding event are still unfolding,” Scott Tibbetts, the emergency disaster services director for The Salvation Army’s Kentucky & Tennessee Division, said in a statement. “Rivers and waterways are continuing to move water downstream, and conditions can change quickly. The Salvation Army is working closely with local emergency management partners and stands ready to provide additional support wherever it is needed.”
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Linda Blackford for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.
