More thunderstorms battered already flooded areas of the mountainous region of Appalachia, United States, and the death toll rose to 35 as rescuers found new bodies on Monday.
Hundreds of people are still missing five days after the floods began, said Governor Andy Beshear, who warned that strong winds could bring a new threat: falling trees and poles.
More than 12,000 customers remain without electricity, often because their homes or businesses have been destroyed or are now uninhabitable. The shelters accommodate at least 300 victims.
Flooding swept through last week when about 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain fell in just 48 hours across portions of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia and western Virginia.
Weather radars indicate about four inches of rain fell on Sunday, and the U.S. National Weather Service has warned that downpours and thunderstorms rolling slowly over the region could cause further flash flooding in here Tuesday morning.
“As if things weren’t bad enough for people in this area, it’s raining on them right now,” Beshear said Monday. High winds are just as worrying ― think how saturated the ground is ― it could rip poles off, it could uproot trees, so people have to be careful. And it’s gonna be even worse when the rain stops. It’s going to be very hot, and we have to make sure that people are on their feet by then. »
Mr. Beshear visited the disaster area on Sunday. He rejoiced to see neighbors helping each other.
“They are extraordinary people. They suffer, but they are strong. It’s amazing to see them helping each other, even when they’ve lost everything,” he said.
A National Guard leader, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, told The Associated Press on Sunday that about 400 people were rescued by helicopter. He said the rescuers’ response “was going really well, given the circumstances”.
Nightly curfews were imposed in response to possible looting in two devastated communities ― Breathitt County and the nearby town of Hindman, Knott County.
A curfew was imposed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in Breathitt County. Only emergency vehicles, first aiders and people traveling to work are exempt.
In Hindman, the curfew is in effect between sunset and sunrise, according to local press, due to “excessive looting”.
President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster last week to release emergency funds for flooded counties. Officials from the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency were also dispatched to the scene.
Elsewhere, roads that provide access to Death Valley National Park have been closed after flooding in flash floods that also hit western Nevada and northern Arizona.
The US National Weather Service reports that 2.5 centimeters of rain fell in 15 minutes on Sunday near Kingman, Arizona, near the California border.
Roads were also damaged in southern California near the Mojave National Preserve, and motorists were advised to avoid the area.
In the mountainous region east of Los Angeles, on the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, roads were blocked by mudslides that washed away trees and rocks near the town of Yucaipa.