The death toll in the storms that devastated Kentucky over the weekend has risen to 14 — and the impacted communities will have to brace for more winter weather.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday that two additional people, an adult man and adult woman who appear to have been homeless, died from hypothermia. Twelve others have died as a result of flooding in the state, including a mother and her 7-year-old child, whose car was swept away in Hart County, according to WBKO-TV.
The state is applying for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which many residents may qualify for, Beshear said in an announcement Monday.
Following a weekend of devastation, Beshear said his biggest concern with the incoming winter storm is people getting stranded on roads and in freezing temperatures.
Sixty million people are under winter weather alerts Tuesday morning from the Central Plains to the Carolina coast as a storm system will bring heavy snow and wind to the region. The storm is expected to bring “significant snow accumulation to central and southern Kentucky Tuesday evening into Wednesday afternoon,” according to the National Weather Service field office in Louisville.
A light dusting of snow is forecast for portions of western and central Kentucky on Tuesday morning, with up to 1 inch of snow possible, per the weather service. This snow can cause slick spots on the roads.
A total of around 2 to 6 inches of snow is possible across the region from Tuesday night at 9 p.m. to Wednesday at 5 p.m., the weather service said.
The storm is expected to create hazardous travel conditions “due to slick roads and poor visibility” and disrupt recovery efforts for the floods.
Almost 4,500 utility customers are still without power in Kentucky, according to Poweroutage.US. Beshear is encouraging those without power to head to shelters if they cannot safely heat their homes ahead of the storm.
“If you can’t turn your heat on by this afternoon, you need to call a family member or friend and go stay with them. If that option isn’t available, please go to an emergency shelter,” Beshear said in a statement. “The temperatures are dropping dangerously low, and we need to do everything possible to keep our neighbors safe.”
Water rescues resulting from floods are expected to wind down Tuesday as the focus shifts to clearing roads in preparation for the winter storm, Kentucky officials said.
Snowplow and salt truck crews are on standby to keep highways passable, the governor’s office said in an update Tuesday morning.
“The incoming extreme cold will make it difficult for crews to clear roads as salt and other anti-icing materials become less effective,” the governor’s office said. “Flooded roads will also impact snowplow routes.”
Officials advised residents that it’s safest to stay home amid the weather conditions.
