US: Storms Generate Floods and Blackouts in Kentucky

So far there were no reports of injuries or deaths. The storms came just three weeks after a series of tornadoes hit the region, killing more than 90 people in five states, including 77 in Kentucky.

By Saturday afternoon there was a flood warning for much of the state. Eastern portions of its territory, as well as swaths of Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were under warning of possible tornadoes.

The Kentucky governor’s office reported that flash floods forced rescues in the water and closed many roads in the south and central parts of the state.

Heavy rains were expected to continue during the day across much of Kentucky, followed by a cold front, which could complicate the work of emergency crews.

In the southwestern town of Hopkinsville, several downtown businesses were damaged by a potential tornado. WTVF-TV reported that a Family Dollar store had been largely destroyed, and that the roof of a Marathon gas station had fallen into a park across the street. Other nearby buildings had roof damage and many power lines had been knocked down, the television station added.

Another tornado may have passed through Taylor County, in the center of the state, where several homes were damaged, according to the governor’s office.

“It is devastating that we are once again experiencing stormy weather just weeks after the deadly tornadoes that struck western Kentucky. Sadly, some counties have been affected by these two events, ”Beshear said in a statement.