A church in Richmond, Kentucky, was swept off its foundation and carried into the roadway as flash flooding devastated communities throughout the state over the weekend, killing at least four people and prompting Gov. Andy Beshear to declare a state of emergency.
Million Bible Church was among the most dramatic casualties of the flooding. Jim Caldwell, meteorologist and journalist, shared photos of the church on Facebook, saying it “has been absolutely leveled.”
The congregation had earlier posted on Facebook that it was canceling a revival scheduled for Saturday night and was “praying everyone stays safe.” On Sunday, the church issued a call for prayer and donations to help the rebuilding efforts.
“Recent high waters caused devastating damage to Million Church, and our surrounding community. But with faith, unity, and love, WE CAN RISE AGAIN,” the church stated.
Multiple Kentucky counties saw record rainfall in a short period of time, according to Gov. Beshear’s office. The governor plans to request assistance from the federal government.
“This flooding has devastated so many communities across our state and taken the lives of four children of God, gone too soon,” Beshear said on Sunday. “While we are still in the search and rescue phase, we are also working quickly to survey damage to submit a request for federal assistance. People have lost their homes and so much more, and this type of support will be essential as we work to recover and rebuild together.”
Richmond, the seat of Madison County, recorded more than 5 inches of rain, a record for the city, reports WHAS 11. Three deaths were confirmed there, two of them suspected flood drowning victims found near Summit Street and Wellington Court around 10 a.m., after police received calls about flooded homes with people trapped inside.
Officers rescued some of those stranded by floodwaters; two others were likely trapped in a basement underwater. Their names have not been released.
Gov. Beshear announced the emergency declaration Saturday, saying widespread flooding had forced first responders to rescue people trapped in vehicles and homes. By Sunday, more than 63 water rescues and evacuations had been conducted statewide, according to WDRB.
Five counties declared local states of emergency, including Bullitt, Madison, Meade, Mercer, and Spencer. A community-wide evacuation was ordered in Bullitt County, one of the hardest-hit areas.
Kentucky Emergency Management, Kentucky State Police and pre-positioned swift water rescue teams reportedly responded to flooded neighborhoods throughout the day. Emergency crews rescued residents from flooded vehicles and homes.
In Bullitt County, residents along Prior Valley Road outside Shepherdsville spent Saturday surveying extensive damage after floodwaters tore through their neighborhood.
Resident Danny Ralph told WDRB the water first rose Saturday morning before briefly receding, leading him to believe the danger had passed. Hours later, he heard a loud bang before floodwaters rushed back with far greater force. The surge knocked his trailer off its foundation, leaving it uninhabitable. A neighbor’s storage shed was swept off its property and deposited farther down the road behind another home.
Residents said the recovery will take months.
Kentucky has suffered repeated catastrophic flooding events in recent years.
In July 2022, flash floods in eastern Kentucky killed at least 39 people and destroyed thousands of homes, roads, and bridges in the Appalachian coalfield counties of Breathitt, Knott, Letcher, and Perry. It was among the deadliest natural disasters in the state’s recorded history. Over 600 helicopter rescues were needed to evacuate people trapped by floodwaters, according to the National Weather Service.
That event drew attention to the particular vulnerability of Kentucky communities built along creek bottoms and hollow floors, where runoff from steep hillsides can turn waterways into raging torrents within hours.
State and federal officials subsequently invested in early-warning infrastructure and pre-positioned swiftwater rescue teams throughout the state. Those teams were among the resources deployed Saturday in response to the latest flooding.
