At least nine people have died due to severe rain and flooding in the United States. Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in parts of the southeastern region of the country, submerging roads and homes in many areas.
Additionally, nearly 400,000 people are without power due to the severe weather. British news outlet BBC reported this information in a report on Monday, February 17.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated that eight people have died in his state. He also indicated in a press conference on Sunday that the death toll could rise further.
Beshear mentioned that hundreds of people trapped in floodwaters and many stuck in vehicles have been rescued. He also urged residents to “stay off the roads and stay alive.”
The ninth fatality due to the rain and flooding occurred in Georgia, where a fallen tree collapsed onto a house, killing a man who was lying in bed.
Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina were under several storm-related warnings over the weekend. Nearly all of these states had suffered catastrophic damage last September due to Hurricane Helen.
According to data from the monitoring site PowerOutage.US, around 400,000 people were without power in eight states as of Sunday afternoon (local time).
BBC reported that a significant portion of the deaths and damages due to the rain and flooding occurred in Kentucky. Among the deceased are a mother and her seven-year-old child, as well as a 73-year-old elderly man. Some parts of Kentucky have recorded up to six inches (15 cm) of rainfall.
Statistics from the National Weather Service indicate that the heavy rainfall has led to “widespread flooding.” Additionally, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear mentioned on social media platform X that more than 300 roads have been closed due to the flooding.