Kentucky death toll rises to 12 as state faces historic flooding

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A deadly weekend storm that flooded the "entire state" of Kentucky, the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic has killed at least 14 people as rescuers face another weather system Tuesday.

In Kentucky, 12 people are reported dead as a result of the severe flooding. Two others were killed in West Virginia and Georgia, where the multi-state storm also brought heavy winds.

"I've got more tough news. The death toll in Kentucky has now risen to 12," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote Monday afternoon in a post on X.

"We must remember, this isn't just a number -- these are Kentuckians who will be missed by their families and loved ones," Beshear added. "Please pray for our commonwealth and our neighbors who have lost people they love."

Beshear told reporters Monday that emergency workers had made more than 1,000 water rescues this past weekend, but warned the death toll will increase as the water recedes. A new winter storm will complicate matters, bringing up to eight inches of snow to the Louisville area starting Tuesday.

"In the last 48 hours, we have seen four seasons of weather," Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said on Sunday, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. "Rain, then snow. We've even had a thunderstorm, and now we've got snow coming again. It's a serious, serious event."

Beshear, who declared a state of emergency Friday before the storm hit, confirmed at least 237 people have been evacuated by helicopter and boat from two apartment buildings in Martin County where the water levels continued to rise Monday.

The emergency crews consisted of Swift Water Boat squads and 146 soldiers from the Kentucky National Guard. Kentucky rescuers have received assistance across the Kentucky River from Ohio Task Force 1, which has been aiding the state and other nearby states affected by the weekend flooding.

Officials have tried to respond rapidly to rising floodwater that have swamped roadways across Kentucky and the region. Beshear blamed a "significant number" of deaths and rescues on "people deciding to drive through standing or running water."

"Widespread flooding of roads continues across much of the region," the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., warned Monday. "Stream and river levels will continue to rise over the next few days in some areas, and this could cause new flooding to develop."

The new storm system will arrive late Tuesday, according to forecasters, bringing significant amounts of snow to Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky. The system, which will bring inclement weather in two waves, is expected to drop up to 12 inches in Missouri and the second will hit southeastern Virginia and northern North Carolina.