Flash floods in Appalachia kill at least eight, displace hundreds

Storms dumped as much as six inches of rain on eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia on Thursday causing landslides and flash floods that killed at least eight people and trapped many on their roofs. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said this is some of the worst flooding in the state’s history. He said hundreds have likely lost their homes. Thirty-one thousand people were without power across the region on Thursday, according to poweroutage.us.

What are rescue crews doing? Beshear deployed National Guard soldiers to the hardest-hit areas as people wait on roofs and others are still unaccounted for. So far, three rescue centers have been opened in parks for displaced people. The National Weather Service predicted another 1 to 3 inches of rain in some areas.

Dig deeper: Read my report in the Sift on the wildfire forcing thousands to flee in California.