KENTUCKY TODAY

Gov. Andy Beshear gave an update Thursday on the flooding, especially in western Kentucky, which set a state record for single day rainfall, and prompted him to issue a State of Emergency declaration on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service Office in Paducah says the Kentucky Mesonet Station located six miles southwest of Mayfield in Graves County recorded 11.28 inches of rain on Wednesday. That breaks the record of 10.48 inches of rain that fell in Louisville on March 1, 1997.

But it wasn’t only Mayfield that saw torrential rain. Paducah reported 6.95 inches of rain, breaking the single day record during the month of July by more than an inch and a half. It is also the second highest overall single-day amount, only surpassed by the 7.49 inches that fell on September 5, 1985.

During his weekly press conference, the Governor said, “Thankfully, there have been no fatalities, no reports of missing persons, and not a single injury. Last night, water started to recede, and teams have begun damage assessment. We have had zero requests for state assistance, thus far. It means all these local first responders are doing a heck of a job.”

He also noted that there were only around 500 customers without electricity Thursday morning, down from 19,433 at one point on Wednesday.

In addition to the statewide emergency declaration, Beshear said there were local emergencies declared in Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman and Lee counties, as well as in the cities of Arlington, Bardwell, Clinton, Cumberland and Mayfield.

Beshear reminded people who live in the flooded areas, “Please stay alert, avoid high water, be careful. We have gotten through this thus far without losing a single life, and we don’t want to lose even just one person.”

The governor was to tour Mayfield on Friday.