Two women died after torrential rains, thunderstorms and flash floods that blew through Kentucky. The rains, which began Thursday and continued into Friday, also stranded a school bus and resulted in more than 160 rescues in Louisville.
One woman died after her car was swept from a highway during a flash flood. Kentucky State Police said that the flood occurred close to 10 a.m. Friday. The car was pushed into a creek in Lee County about 140 miles southeast of Louisville. WLEX-TV reported Saturday that the woman was identified as Lois McGovern, 63.
Police said that McGovern was stranded in high water on the highway, and that rescue workers lost site of her vehicle two hours later. They also said that McGovern’s body was recovered after the waters had receded at roughly 7 p.m. The initial investigation states that she was alone at the time of the accident and no other bodies were found near the creek.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Friday that there were 59 motorists who were helped and 163 water rescues in Louisville, according to the LA Times. Roads washed out and cars were submerged after the floods.
Officer Rufus Craven of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife said that another woman died in Powell County when a tree limb hit her tent during one of the storms. Her husband was also injured. Their three children, who were camping with the couple, remained unharmed.
Craven said that the flooding had ceased by Saturday. He said that the rivers and creeks are “still rising,” but the “flood stage” is over.
A school bus in northern Kentucky carrying 16 students was stranded for nearly three hours by the floodwaters, according to STL Today. The students and the driver walked half a mile after climbing onto a nearby embankment. A school district spokeswoman, Nancy Howe, said that they were retrieved on higher ground.
In Kentucky, more than 6 inches of rain fell in Louisville and more than five inches fell in Lexington. Beyond Kentucky, thousands of people lost power in Kansas and winds reached almost 90 mph. Many buildings were damaged, and six people were reported injured.
