“The forecast is concerning, and we’re watching it very closely, obviously. We also are sending out warnings and making sure everyone knows,” said Col. Jeremy Slinker, the Kentucky emergency management director.
“We’re preparing for it and making sure all the residents there are prepared for it because we just don’t want to lose anyone else or have any more tragedy,” he told CNN’s Pamela Brown Saturday.
“Locations that have already seen recent heavy rain will be the most sensitive to additional rain,” the weather service in Jackson, Kentucky, noted.
Twenty-five people have been confirmed killed during what officials describe as unprecedented flooding for the region, and the death toll is expected to climb as crews gain more access to currently impassable areas, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
“There are still so many people unaccounted for,” Beshear told CNN Saturday. “It’s going to get worse.”
Officials believe thousands have been affected, and efforts to rebuild some areas may take years, the governor has said. The state’s estimated losses are potentially in the “tens if not the hundreds of millions of dollars,” Beshear noted Saturday.
After the rain, excessive heat is expected to build over the region Tuesday as many people are currently struggling with no access to clean drinking water, power outages and cell service that was still out in some counties Saturday.
“The water is still high in some counties. It’s crested in most, but not all. Water systems overwhelmed. So, either no water or water that’s not safe, that you have to boil,” Beshear said.
The federal government sent tractor trailers of bottled water to the region, and more financial assistance is on the way.
‘Hero’ rescued family from flooded home
Among the tales of heroism emerging from the disaster is that of an unidentified man who drifted through fast-moving water to get a 98-year-old grandmother, her grandson and another family member out of their home as it was nearly swallowed by the flooding Thursday.
Randy Polly, who witnessed the rescue in Whitesburg, Kentucky, and recorded parts of it on his cell phone, told CNN he got stuck a distance away from the home on his way to get gas Thursday morning.
Polly said he heard people yelling across the flooded road, “Get me help, get help.” He called 911, but first-responders were overwhelmed and unresponsive to his calls.
Around 9 a.m., he saw a man he described as a hero drift over to the house and start banging on the door and window.
The man eventually helped get three people out of the home and guided them through rushing water, the videos show. The rescue took about 30 minutes, Polly said.
Missy Crovetti, who lives in Green Oaks, Illinois, told CNN the people rescued in the video are her grandmother Mae Amburgey, uncle Larry Amburgey and brother Gregory Amburgey. They are safe and doing well, she said.
Crovetti said she does not know the name of the man who rescued her family. Polly also said he does not know the man’s name.
Financial help in progress
As many people who’ve lost everything are in need of relief following the devastating flooding, officials have moved swiftly to approve financial assistance.
The federal government greenlighted funding for people in five counties “at a pace that we’ve never seen before,” Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman told CNN’s Pamela Brown Saturday.
“Residents will actually receive direct payments, which is some really good news in what will be a very long tunnel to see the light,” Coleman said.
Coleman did not provide an exact date on when those payments are expected to reach residents, though she said they will be dispersed as soon as the state receives the money.
Additionally, nearly $700,000 has been raised for relief efforts, Beshear said Saturday. He added that funeral expenses for those killed in the flooding will be paid for.
“We value ensuring that these loved ones can be reconnected with their family members, and to make sure that these folks are able to have a proper funeral for their loved ones,” Coleman said.
Additionally, the state is prioritizing placing generators at the shelters for flood survivors as temperatures are expected to soar Tuesday following the rain.
CNN’s Sharif Paget, Gene Norman, Derek Van Dam, Jalen Beckford and Raja Razek contributed to this report.
