Kentucky reels from flooding that killed 11 as another storm will bring snow and cold

Another winter storm will hit the U.S. this week and will bring snow to Kentucky, after the state was hit with devastating flooding over the weekend that killed 11 and prompted over 1,000 rescues. 

Winter alerts are in place for 34 million from the central Plains to West Virginia on Monday morning.

This storm will move across the Rockies and begin producing snow across the central Plains on Monday, then bring moderate to heavy snow to Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas by Tuesday. A stripe of ice will also be possible from northern Texas into Arkansas. 

The storm system will bring snow to Kentucky late Tuesday, and Tennessee and into Virginia and North Carolina on Wednesday. It’ll move off the coast by Thursday. 

The storm will have two pockets of enhanced snowfall: the first across the central Plains and southern Missouri, where 6 to 12 inches could fall, and the second across southeastern Virginia and northern North Carolina. 

A flood watch warning was issued for much of Kentucky early Thursday, followed by heavy rains and flooding over the weekend that prompted evacuations, submerged neighborhoods, triggered mud and rock slides, water rescues, and knocked out power and water.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Monday storm briefing that the weekend’s heavy rain and flooding has impacted the entire the state, calling it “one of the most challenging weather events we have faced.”

He announced the storm death toll rose to 11 since Sunday night. The two new fatalities were described as an adult male in Hardin County and an adult male in Floyd County. 

“All of Kentucky still has standing water in different areas … Over 300 roads still impacted and closed, so everyone, be careful,” he warned. Beshear said the state is still in the search and rescue phase of the emergency with people still in harms way. 

He said there was daily record rainfall in Frankfort, Paducah, Bowling Green, Jackson and London, and major flooding in the Green, Rolling Fork and Kentucky Rivers. 

Over 14,000 customers remain without power as of Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.Us, over 17,000 without water, and over 28,000 under a boil water advisory. Kentucky State Police responded to over 6,000 calls for service since Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Louisville, Kentucky, warned that the “impactful winter storm” arrives late Tuesday and will last through Wednesday evening. The weather service said 2 to 6 inches of snow accumulation is possible, along with slick road conditions, and disruptions to recovery efforts from the floods. 

“From Tuesday night to Wednesday night we have another weather event coming into the commonwealth,” Beshear said Monday. “Unfortunately, right now it is for most all of the commonwealth, save for parts of northern Kentucky. What this means is water that’s out there — we still have a lot — can freeze. We’re going to see black ice in different places during both the days and nights.”

Current models forecast the heaviest snow could fall in eastern Kentucky, potentially dropping 3 to 6 inches there.

“It means we’re going to have to make sure we’ve got everyone displaced because of this flooding in a warm place for the days that are coming ahead,” Beshear said.

The governor said Sunday that President Donald Trump had approved his request for disaster relief funding.

Locals are warned to not cross flooded roadways and never drive around barricades as water rescue operations continue. Twelve emergency shelters are open. As of Monday, 143 people are currently being sheltered at four Kentucky State Parks occupying a total of 72 rooms. 

Meanwhile, a cold outbreak also has 55 million people from the Canadian border down to central Texas under cold alerts.

Monday morning wind chills were as cold as 30 to 50 below zero across Montana, Minnesota and the Dakotas. The Great Lakes and Upper Midwest also woke up to wind chills of 10 to 20 below zero.