Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Saturday after flash floods killed four people and prompted ongoing rescue operations across Kentucky, officials said.
In a video message, Gov. Andy Beshear urged residents not to drive after dark, said a motorist had been swept away and killed by the floods, and added, "We know we've already lost at least a handful of Kentuckians. I don't want to lose any more. Be safe, everyone," he said.
Jimmy Cornelison, the Madison County coroner, said three adults died in the flooding and that their identities have not been released; he said one of the three was killed in a weather-related car accident and the other two, a man and a woman, were killed in a flooded basement, and described all three as being aged roughly 40 to 59.
Beshear said three people had died in Madison County and one in Jackson County due to flooding, and he said there were "significant roads underwater" in Madison County and that at least 12 state roads were out of commission because they were flooded.
Beshear said the storms brought six to seven inches of rain in some parts of the state and that heavy rainfall was expected to let up by 11 p.m. local time; the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Kentucky and Indiana and said parts of southwestern Indiana had seen between four and 10 inches of rain.
Bullitt County reported a "moderate dam failure" and issued an urgent evacuation notice for some residents in Lebanon Junction, and county emergency management officials also asked residents to evacuate as a precaution after a landslide at a dam embankment, saying the dam was holding with no indication of imminent failure.
The area near Bullitt County saw about three inches of rain in the past two days, the National Weather Service said.
Emergency responders were assisting with water rescues from vehicles and homes; five search and rescue teams were sent to the Madison County area, high-axle vehicles were being used to assist with water rescues, and an emergency landing station opened for flood victims at a local shelter, Madison Home.