At least four people are dead and Kentucky’s governor has declared a state of emergency following flooding that struck the state, officials confirmed Saturday, June 28.
The death toll — four confirmed fatalities — came alongside the emergency declaration, which unlocks state resources for response and recovery. The governor’s office didn’t immediately detail which counties were hardest hit or whether additional deaths were under investigation.
Four deaths. One declaration. And the water was still moving.
Flooding has hit Kentucky hard before. The eastern part of the state suffered catastrophic losses in July 2022, when flash floods killed more than 40 people across several counties. It isn’t clear from the latest reports whether Saturday’s flooding is centered in the same region or elsewhere in the commonwealth.
A state of emergency declaration allows the governor to activate the National Guard, request federal assistance, and waive certain regulatory requirements that could slow rescue or debris-removal operations. Whether a federal disaster declaration request has been submitted wasn’t immediately confirmed.
Search-and-rescue conditions, the full geographic scope of the flooding, and any additional fatalities hadn’t been disclosed as of Saturday morning.
