The entire state of Kentucky is facing severe flooding, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), with warnings issued over the dangerous conditions.
Flood warnings are in effect for much of the state, with central areas and major cities such as Lexington and Louisville experiencing flash flooding.
Why It Matters
Severe winter weather has swept across the eastern half of the U.S. in recent days, leading to evacuations, widespread road closures, and elevated concerns over public safety.
Kentucky has faced the brunt of the storms, with one 73-year-old Manchester resident dying as a result, CNN reported, citing the Clay County Coroner’s Office.
What To Know
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency on Friday, in effect until midday on Sunday, as a result of the anticipated heavy rainfall.
“River flooding is very likely this weekend through next week. Significant flooding is expected where the heaviest rain falls,” Beshear said in a press release, citing the NWS warnings.
Around 14,000 Kentuckians, primarily in the southeast of the state, are also battling power outages, according to PowerOutage.us, with Pike being the worst affected area.
The governor has activated the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center, which will coordinate the response efforts, while also calling up units of the Kentucky National Guard and enacting the state’s price gouging laws “to protect Kentuckians from overpriced goods and services as they clean up and recover from the storm.”
Alabama Power Outages: Full List of Counties Affected
In Alabama, meanwhile, thousands are battling power outages as a result of the extreme weather. According to PowerOutage.us, more than 191,000 customers are currently without power. The affected counties are:
- Autauga. Outage: 21.5 percent
- Baldwin. Outage: 1.5 percent
- Baldwin. Outage: 1.5 percent
- Bibb. Outage: 23.7 percent
- Blount. Outage: 11.7 percent
- Bullock. Outage: 1.3 percent
- Butler. Outage: 28.2 percent
- Calhoun. Outage: 5.4 percent
- Chambers. Outage: 24.4 percent
- Cherokee: 1.1 percent
- Chilton. Outage: 26.4 percent
- Choctaw. Outage: 5 percent
- Clarke. Outage: 8.9 percent
- Clay. Outage: 28.7 percent
- Cleburne. Outage: 24.1 percent
- Coffee. Outage: 2.6 percent
- Colbert. Outage: 1.1 percent
- Conecuh. Outage: 24.5 percent
- Coosa. Outage: 66.8 percent
- Covington. Outage: 5 percent
- Crenshaw. Outage: 33.4 percent
- Cullman. Outage: 11 percent
- Dallas. Outage: 19.6 percent
- DeKalb. Outage: 1.2 percent
- Elmore. Outage: 20.7 percent
- Escambia. Outage: 9.3 percent
- Etowah. Outage: 4.3 percent
- Fayette. Outage: 26.7 percent
- Franklin. Outage: 16.8 percent
- Greene. Outage: 6.8 percent
- Hale. Outage: 59.6 percent
- Jackson. Outage: 0.5 percent
- Jefferson. Outage: 4 percent
- Lamar. Outage: 10.3 percent
- Lauderdale. Outage: 11.4 percent
- Lawrence. Outage: 3.9 percent
- Lee. Outage: 4.1 percent
- Lowndes. Outage: 28.7 percent
- Macon. Outage: 10.9 percent
- Madison. Outage: 0.5 percent
- Marengo. Outage: 10.5 percent
- Marion. Outage: 4.1 percent
- Marshall. Outage: 6 percent
- Mobile. Outage: 3 percent
- Monroe. Outage: 30.8 percent
- Montgomery. Outage: 6.4 percent
- Morgan. Outage: 1.2 percent
- Perry. Outage: 37.4 percent
- Pickens. Outage: 23.6 percent
- Pike. Outage: 2.4 percent
- Randolph. Outage: 23.1 percent
- Shelby. Outage: 6.1 percent
- St. Clair. Outage: 6.4 percent
- Sumter. Outage: 30 percent
- Talladega. Outage: 21.8 percent
- Tallapoosa. Outage: 34.7 percent
- Tuscaloosa. Outage: 16.7 percent
- Walker. Outage: 16.4 percent
- Washington. Outage: 1.4 percent
- Wilcox. Outage: 23.6 percent
- Winston. Outage: 5.1 percent
What People Are Saying
“We want everyone to be careful,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said in his Friday announcement. “The amount of rain coming down will make it hard to drive, and flash flooding, especially across our roads, can create dangerous conditions. And remember, don’t drive through standing water, it can have a current, and it is incredibly dangerous.”
“Flood warnings and flash flood warnings are out for all of Kentucky’s 120 counties,” wrote Chris Bailey, chief meteorologist for WKYT. “This is the first time that’s happened in my 27-year career.”
“Folks, the flood watch has now expanded to the entire state of Kentucky,” Beshear posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Friday. “This weekend, we need everyone to stay alert and be prepared—especially those who live in flood zones”
What Happens Next?
On Saturday evening, Beshear said that he had written to President Donald Trump requesting an emergency disaster declaration, indicating that the response efforts may exceed the state’s own capabilities and require funding and assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Beshear has also spoken with recently confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FEMA’s acting director to this end.
Newsweek has contacted FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security outside of business hours for further updates.
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