At least 19 dead in eastern Ky. flooding, including four young siblings

The death toll in eastern Kentucky continues to rise as officials now say at least 19 people have died in the catastrophic flooding event.

Included in the 19 fatalities are four siblings in Knott County who died after climbing onto the roof of their home on Thursday. The home was then swept from under the children and their parents, but they were able to hang onto a tree for a couple of hours before a large wave swept the children from their parents’ grips, according to news outlets.

The bodies of the four children were recovered Friday morning in the Montgomery community of Knott County. They have been identified as eight-year-old Maddison Noble, six-year-old Riley Noble Jr., four-year-old Nevaeh Noble, and 18-month-old Chance Noble.

Knott County has now had at least 14 fatalities. Two people have died in Letcher County, two in Clay County and one in Perry County. The death toll, multiple officials have said, is expected to rise.

Search and rescue teams, assisted by the Kentucky National Guard, dot the region as there remains possibly hundreds of people unaccounted for after entire communities were destroyed. Hundreds of homes were swept away in floodwaters, leaving countless residents homeless.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday afternoon that about 340 people are utilizing 10 shelters in the region. Four of the shelters are being provided by the American Red Cross, while the other six are independent.

Sheltering is also taking place at Jenny Wiley, Pine Mountain and Buckhorn state parks.

Beshear said President Joe Biden approved his initial request for federal aid for the region to assist in recovery efforts.

“Federal funding is available to the commonwealth, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures in the counties of Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Wolfe. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire commonwealth,” state officials said.

(Headline photo: back — Maddison Noble, Riley Noble Jr.: front — Nevaeh Noble, Chance Noble, courtesy of the Lexington Herald-Leader)