Flash Flood Emergencies Issued Across Kentucky and Ohio Valley

Multiple Flash Flood Emergencies were declared Saturday across Kentucky and the Ohio Valley as repeated rounds of heavy rain triggered life-threatening flooding, water rescues and at least one fatality. A motorist was killed after being swept away by floodwaters in Kentucky, officials announced.

Emergency crews conducted numerous water rescues as rapidly rising waters overwhelmed roads and low-lying areas. Another Flash Flood Emergency covered parts of Madison County, where additional thunderstorms tracked over already saturated ground. The Richmond Police Department shared photos of submerged roads and responded to multiple water-rescue calls.

Local states of emergency were declared in Bullitt, Madison, Meade, Mercer and Spencer counties. In Bullitt County, officials ordered an urgent evacuation for part of Lebanon Junction after a dam suffered a reported "moderate" failure.

Widespread rainfall of 3 to 5 inches fell across portions of the Ohio Valley, with locally higher amounts, according to the FOX Forecast Center. Most Flash Flood Warnings are expected to expire by early Sunday. Warm, moisture-laden air will continue to fuel scattered showers and thunderstorms across central and south-central Kentucky through the afternoon.

In eastern Kentucky, near-record atmospheric moisture could produce locally heavy downpours through at least midday Sunday. The same storm system will bring showers and thunderstorms to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast before drier air spreads into the Ohio Valley later Sunday.

Weather and Weekend Outlook NOAA's Weather