Heavy Rain Causes Major Flooding in Kentucky and West Virginia
Disaster Alert
March 2, 2020
Source: The Weather Channel
Additional Resource:
Office of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (Gov. Beshear Declares State of Emergency Due to Heavy Rainfall Across the Commonwealth)
Associated ZIP Code List (Statewide)
Office of West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (Gov. Justice Declares State of Emergency for 18 Counties Affected by Flooding)
Associated County ZIP Code List (18 Counties)
Approximate locations reportedly sustaining structural flooding:
Kentucky
-Beattyville (Lee County, 41311)
*Hardest hit area
– Bowling Green (Warren County, 42101, 42102, 42103, 42104, 42128)
*Concentrated home flooding reported in the Weatherstone subdivision
– Clay City (Powell County, 40312)
– Frankfort (Franklin County, 40601, 40602, 40603, 40604, 40618, 40619, 40620, 40621, 40622)
– Paintsville (Johnson County, 41240)
– Salyersville (Magoffin County, 41465)
Ohio
– Anderson Township (Hamilton County, 45230)
– New Richmond (Clermont County, 45157)
West Virginia
– Barboursville (Cabell County, 25504)
– Ceredo (Wayne County, 25507)
– Dunlow (Wayne County, 25511)
– Kermit (Mingo County, 25674)
– Lavallette (Wayne County, 25535)
– Milton (Cabell County, 25541)
– Ona (Cabell County, 25545)
– Salt Rock (Cabell County, 25559)
– Tornado (Kanawha County, 25202)
NOTE: This has not yet been declared a FEMA Disaster.
At a Glance
- Officials were watching a dam on Panbowl Lake after flooding caused some erosion.
- Some evacuations were ordered.
- When the Lee County Health Department lost power, COVID-19 vaccine had to be rescued by boat.
- The Kentucky River was well above flood stage in some places.
Officials in Kentucky said flooding that inundated homes and businesses has reached historic levels in some areas.
“This is going to be one that goes into the record books,” Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said in a news conference late Tuesday afternoon.
At least 49 counties had issued disaster declarations, according to Dossett.
“The water’s still high,” he said. “This one is not over at this point.”
While some smaller rivers were receding, some larger ones were either holding steady or slowly rising as the volume of water drains down the watershed, weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said Tuesday evening.
Days of rain that dumped 4 to 7 inches across a wide stretch of the state pushed rivers to levels not seen for decades.
Dossett and Gov. Andy Beshear said the state had been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to seek federal aid. They said assessments would be made next week for both the flooding and an ice storm last week. Damage assessments for the ice storm were put on hold by the floods.
For full report, please click the source link above.