MAYFIELD, Ky. – For the ninth time in just two weeks, biblical amounts of rain have spawned Flash Flood Emergencies in the U.S., triggering a life-threatening situation.
On Wednesday morning, it was western Kentucky‘s turn. Kentucky saw nearly 10 inches of rain and counting in Graves County, home to Mayfield.
The sheriff’s office said the “major flooding like many have never seen” swept in overnight and into the predawn for other counties like in Hickman and Carlisle.
At first light, storm chaser Brandon Clement got a view of entire neighborhoods in Mayfield underwater, where a Flash Flood Emergency was issued.
“The rain in this area was just horrendous,” he told FOX Weather. “The rain was so heavy it was like whiteout. It just all overwhelmed all infrastructure in place.”
Swift water rescue teams have also been activated to assist people who have water approaching their houses as well.
A Flash Flood Emergency has been extended to 1 p.m. CDT. Destructive 70 to 80 mph wind gusts had also been reported early Wednesday morning.
No injuries or deaths have been reported.
This is the third catastrophic natural diaster for Kentucky in just over a year and a half.
Sixteen people died in flooding last July in the western part of the state. In December 2021, a devastating EF-4 tornado that tore through the region, leaving more than 80 dead and over 1,000 homes lost.