Madison County coroner identifies two victims in deadly weekend flood
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- Madison County coroner identified John Powell, 57, as one of the flood victims.
- Coroner identified Garnett Isbell, 73, who died when his car was swept away.
- One flood victim from the University Drive apartment basement remains unidentified.
Two of the three victims from a deadly flood in Madison County over the weekend have been identified.
Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison identified one of the victims as John Powell, 57. He was one of two people who died in a flooded basement of an apartment building on University Drive.
The other victim was Garnett Isbell, 73, who died when his car was swept away on Tates Creek Road, Cornelison said.
The identity of the other victim who died, who was also in the flooded University Drive apartment basement, has not been released. Cornelison said he is still trying to contact immediate family members of the victim.
Richmond police previously said several residents of the flooded apartments were located or evacuated. However, officers could not make contact with anyone in a flooded basement residence that was already underwater, and rescue teams later found Powell and an adult female.
Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency for Kentucky after torrential rain showers caused devastating flooding in multiple communities. Several communities also declared states of emergency, including Madison County.
Beshear previously said a fourth flood victim died in Jackson County, but Jackson County Coroner Conley Tyra said the victim did not die from the flood. A spokesperson for Beshear’s office said the Department of Public Health determined floodwaters contributed to the crash and ruled the death was flood related.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 11:20 AM.
