Weather-related death reported in Western Kentucky. Total deaths in KY now 15
The death toll from recent inclement weather in Kentucky the last few days has risen to 15, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday.
The new death came out of Livingston County. No other information about the death or the victim was released.
“We’ve now lost 15 people, each one a child of God who will be missed by their loved ones. Let’s show those mourning they’re not alone and we love them,” Beshear said in a post on X.
Beshear said during a news conference Thursday morning that two additional deaths were under investigation, and he said later Thursday the victim who died in Livingston County was a confirmed weather-related death.
The current death toll since last week now stands at 15. Eleven of those deaths are believed to have died in the flooding. Four more died amid recent winter weather.
Beshear had not said as of Thursday afternoon if the other death he mentioned was confirmed to be weather-related.
“They are still under investigation, and we will provide an update when we have more information,” Beshear said during the press conference. “That’s a lot of families for a flooding event. That’s a lot of families that are hurting today.”
Major grant approved for Eastern Kentucky higher ground community
Beshear also announced the state is awarding a $6 million grant to build houses for survivors of flooding disasters.
The grant will go to Housing Development Alliance, which will build 32 homes in the Skyview subdivision in Perry County. Beshear said it’s the state’s first major grant for housing construction after a spate of flooding in recent years.
“It’s not just 2022 survivors, but 2025 flood survivors will be eligible for these homes and all of the housing options at our high-ground sites,” Beshear said.
The houses will be built on a 50-acre tract of land located 5 miles from downtown Hazard, near schools, shopping centers and the Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center. The land was donated by the Ison family and is a reclaimed mine site, Crystal Staley.
Beshear said he hopes to eventually build hundreds of homes for flood survivors. People impacted by the floods are encouraged to visit housingcantwait.org for more information.
“Our goal is that people don’t have to go through this again, and we can have them in a safe place,” Beshear said.
Perry County was one of the hardest counties hit during the 2022 floods, when 14 to 16 inches of rain fell on Eastern Kentucky during a five-day period. The rain caused extreme flooding that left 39 people dead and caused major damage to buildings and homes.
Some of those same communities were hit hard again last week with another round of intense flooding. Saturated grounds and 3 to 6 inches rain resulted in flooding in all 120 Kentucky counties, said Chris Bailey, chief meteorologist for WKYT.
Perry County Judge-Executive Scott Alexander told the Herald-Leader his office had received about 200 calls from people reporting flooding at their homes.
Kentucky State Police searching for missing person
Kentucky State Police have declared a Calloway County man missing after his vehicle was found in floodwaters.
The vehicle belonging to 39-year-old Samuel Wilson, of Murray, was found in the Symsonia area of Graves County Monday. KSP said he was not located in or around the vehicle, and his family has not heard from him since Sunday.
Wilson has brown eyes, brown hair, stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 180 pounds, according to KSP. He also has several tattoos, including a large “W” on his neck, birds and hearts on his neck and the Froot Loops toucan on his arm.
Anyone with information on Wilson’s whereabouts is asked to contact KSP Post 1 at 270-856-3721.
Other flood updates
Beshear said officials are starting to transition from the emergency/search phase of storm response to the stabilization phase, focused on recovery and providing urgent needs.
Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson one search team in Leslie County remains active, but most have stopped efforts.
There were more than 1,000 boat rescues and 300 aerial rescues during the aftermath of the storm, according to Beshear.
“There are so many Kentuckians alive today because of these amazing, well-trained and well-coordinated individual first responders,” Beshear said.
There are 218 people still being sheltered at four Kentucky State Parks, Beshear said. Additionally, there are 17 local shelters open for people who can’t heat their homes.
There are still 186 state highways closed because of weather-related damage, according to Beshear. Roughly 2,300 Department of Highways personnel are working on reopening and repairing the roads
Beshear anticipated Thursday’s press conference being the last daily update about storm recovery efforts, as the upcoming forecast shows better days ahead.
The National Weather Service said temperatures will return to the single digits Thursday night through Friday morning, but the temperature is expected to warm up later in the afternoon remain warmer than usual next week.
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 2:10 PM.
