Kentucky woman found dead after flooding washed her house away, coroner says
A woman was found dead in Nicholas County Friday morning after heavy overnight storms washed her house away, according to the Nicholas County Coroner’s Office.
Rosa Rowland, 52, of Nicholas County, was pronounced dead at 7:45 a.m. by Coroner Emily Gaunce. She was found about three-fourths of a mile away from the foundation of her home on West Headquarters Road.
Carlisle police dispatch received a distress call from Rowland sometime before her house washed away, according to the coroner’s office. Officials weren’t able to immediately respond to her home due to flood waters and downed power lines.
When crews got to the scene, Rowland’s house was gone. The coroner’s office said search teams were formed and Rowland was found downstream in a field next to the Hooktown Branch of South Fork Licking River.
The Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office said several roads in the area were impassable due to water and debris blocking the roads. The National Weather Service in Louisville said parts of Nicholas County received roughly 6 inches of rain last night. Radar estimates suggest some parts of the county could have received 8 inches of rain, but that has not been confirmed by officials on the ground.
Surrounding Bourbon and Harrison counties received 2 to 4 inches of rain, according to the NWS.
This story was originally published July 28, 2023 at 11:15 AM.
