Yesterday, a downpour of rain in Eastern Kentucky caused creeks and rivers to rise flood levels, leading to the loss of 16 lives. The 16 lives that were loss during the flood stretch across the four Eastern Kentucky counties’ of Perry, Knott, Letcher, and Clay. Most of the deaths occurred in Knott County (11), followed by Letcher (2) and Clay (2) Counties, with Perry County having 1 death.

Gov. Andy Beshear has issued a State of Emergency and President Joe Biden has given the ok to provide Kentucky with federal funds to help Eastern Kentuckians recover from the flood disaster.

In a news release, Beshear is quoted as saying, “We thank President Biden and the federal government for being responsive in the commonwealth’s time of need. We asked for this last night; it came this morning-one of the fastest disaster declarations we’ve seen, and we are grateful for it.”

Due to over half a foot of rain coming down within a day, folks had little to no time to get to higher ground. They were either stuck in their homes or on the ground, trying to wade through dangerous flood waters.

The really bad part about all of this is that Mother Nature isn’t done unleashing her wrath. More rain is coming! In order to get around the wall of water that Mother Nature is building in Eastern Kentucky, Gov. Beshear has activated the National Guard to help folks get to higher ground. The National Guard has gotten 30 people to higher ground and is working around the clock to rescue more folks.

Along with the loss of life, several homes and businesses have been destroyed. Several people are without gas, water, and power. Two counties, Hindman and Knott , cut off the gas services. There are 23 water systems that aren’t fully working due to the flooding, and about 23,000 people are without power.

If you will like to help, go to Kentucky dot gov and click on the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund link to donate.