“A lot of people” remain unaccounted for amid devastating flooding in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.
“We’re going to do our best to find them all,” Beshear said, without providing a number of the missing.
Beshear toured the devastation by helicopter on Friday and called it the worst flooding he’s seen since being in office.
Flooding is shown in downtown Jackson, Ky., on July 29, 2022.
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A group of stranded people are rescued from the flood waters of the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Ky., on July 28, 2022.
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The official death toll stands at 16, including two children.
Beshear said Friday afternoon that he’s learned of the recovery of four children’s bodies, adding, “We do not have an official update at this time as they have to be verified” by the Department for Public Health.
The governor anticipated that authorities may be updating the number of deceased for “several weeks.”
A Knott County 911 emergency vehicle was washed into the Right Fork Troublesome Creek in Hindman, Ky., July 29, 2022.
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Water surrounds homes and structures after flash flooding near Quicksand, Ky., July 28, 2022.
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Homes are flooded by Lost Creek, Ky., July 28, 2022, after heavy rains caused flash flooding and mudslides in parts of central Appalachia.
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On Thursday, Beshear called it “one of the worst, most devastating” floods in the state’s history and said he anticipates this will be one of the deadliest floods in Kentucky in “a very long time.”
The flooding hit Kentucky late Wednesday, pounding the state with 2 to 5 inches of rain.
Bonnie Combs hugs her 10-year-old granddaughter Adelynn Bowling, as she watches her property become covered by the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Ky., July 28, 2022.
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April Stivers, 38, of Lost Creek, Kentucky, takes a moment to herself in the Hazard Community & Technical College, where survivors of the major flooding in Eastern Kentucky are being taken for shelter on July 28, 2022 in Breathitt County, Ky. April was airlifted from her roof after her partner Chad hammered a hole in the roof to climb out.
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A car is submerged in flood waters along Right Beaver Creek following a day of heavy rain, on July 28, 2022, in Garrett, Ky.
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Kentucky is combating washed out roads, destroyed homes and flooded schools, according to the governor.
Thousands of residents are expected to lose their homes, he said.
Members of a rescue team assist a family out of a boat in Quicksand, Ky., on July 28, 2022. Storms have dropped as much as 12 inches of rain in some parts of Eastern Kentucky, causing devastating floods in some areas.
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A member of the Jackson Fire Dept. reacts outside his vehicle downtown on July 28, 2022 in Jackson, Ky. Storms that dropped as much as 12 inches of rain in some parts of Eastern Kentucky have caused devastating floods in some areas.
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More than 294 people have been rescued from floodwaters in eastern Kentucky so far and that number will likely rise, Beshear said.
The rain may return to Kentucky late Sunday through early next week, but significant rainfall isn’t expected.
“While rain totals are not expected to be as high, flooding still remains a concern due to saturated grounds,” the governor tweeted.
A truck drives along flooded Wolverine Road in Breathitt County, Ky., July 28, 2022, after heavy rains caused flash flooding and mudslides in parts of central Appalachia. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says it’s some of the worst flooding in state history.
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Homes along Gross Loop off of KY-15 are flooded with water from the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Ky., July 28, 2022.
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President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration and is receiving updates “very regularly,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.
“Our hearts break for the families of those who have lost their lives or are missing, and to all those who have been impacted,” she said.
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul, Kenton Gewecke, Josh Hoyos, Justin Ryan Gomez and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.
