See drone photos, video from ‘devastating’ Eastern Kentucky flooding

Thursday morning saw significant flash flooding throughout Southeastern Kentucky, leading to power outages and residents reporting being trapped in their homes.

According to the National Weather Service, the North Fork of the Kentucky River rose 12 feet in 12 hours due to heavy rainfall, hitting a high of 16.8 feet early Thursday morning.

Several counties have reported flooding, including Breathitt, Floyd, Perry, Knott, Leslie, Pike and Magoffin. Around 23,000 Kentuckians were without power, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.

On Friday, receding flood waters in Whitesburg allowed the Letcher County community to begin cleanup of the muddy town. On KY-931 people were using anything they had to clear a house on the bridge over Sandlick Creek, even trying to push it over with a pick-up truck.

In nearby Perry County, the road leading to the Buckhorn School was damaged and piles of debris sat outside school’s front door after water receded.

Volunteers and city workers worked along a washed out KY-197 Friday, trying to reconnect the water supply to a nursing home in Elkhorn City. The pipe, along with some of the road, washed away yesterday when Russel Fork in Pike County flooded.

Beshear called the incident “one of the worst, most devastating flooding events in Kentucky‘s history.” Photos and video from captured from around Eastern Kentucky show the damage from the rainfall and rising waters. Drone and aerial pictures also illustrate the severity of the situation and the likelihood of a long cleanup for places like Garrett in Floyd Co. and Quicksand, a community in Breathitt Co.

This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 11:37 AM.