By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Twenty-two people are dead following the commonwealth’s severe flooding followed by frigid temperatures, snow and ice.
Over the past week the number of weather-related deaths has increased. On Feb. 24, Governor Andy Beshear said the commonwealth “remains in the stabilization phase [and] out of the emergency search-and-rescue phase, but still had some tough updates over the weekend.”
“Sadly, today our death toll has now climbed to 22 with the newest fatality being an adult male in Marshal County, who we lost through hypothermia,” Beshear said during his Monday briefing. “This isn’t just a number, it’s families who are mourning…who are going to need our help, prayers and support today, tomorrow, next week and in the year to come.”
“This has been a difficult disaster. There aren’t many natural disasters where you lose 22 people. After the widespread flooding in 2022 and the tornadoes in 2021, this is one of the most deadly disasters certainly since I’ve been governor,” he added.
Other weather-related deaths include:
- One man in Caldwell County
- One man in Clay County
- One man in Floyd County
- One man in Hardin County
- 3 dead in Hart County – A man in a weather-related crash, and a woman and her child from floodwaters.
- One man and 1 woman died from hypothermia in Jefferson County
- One man dead from Livingston County
- 1 man dead in Logan County
- 1 woman in Morgan County
- 1 person dead in Nelson County from a crash
- 1 man in Ohio County
- 4 people in Pike County, one of them confirmed as a man
- 1 woman in Warren County
- 1 woman in Washington County
- 1 other person; the governor did not indicate where they died
He encouraged Kentuckians to donate to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund, which will go toward funeral expenses for the lives lost during last week’s weather and other needs for victims.
“As a reminder, to help these victims and their families we established the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund to assist those impacted,” Beshear said. “First thing we’re going to do is pay for every single funeral, so that no family has to worry about that…those who can please donate. We currently have $300,689 in donations from 3,100 donators.”
Beshear was wearing a red bandage around his elbow and forearm during the briefing, which comes as he asks people to donate blood to assuage the commonwealth’s “critical need.”
Each of Kentucky’s 120 counties reported rainfall amounts between 3 and 8 inches. In Barren County, Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd declared a state of emergency and is anticipating receiving federal and state assistance, primarily for road repair and maintenance.
