Following weekend storms, Kentuckians must now watch for extreme heat
Following a round of severe thunderstorms across the state, Kentuckians are now being warned to watch out for high temperatures.
Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Tuesday morning press release that forecasted temperatures across Kentucky are “dangerously high” with heat indexes above 100 degrees in some areas.
“Once again, Kentuckians are coming together to recover from a deadly flooding event, and I want to remind every community that we will get through this, and we will get through this together,” said Gov. Beshear. “As we begin the damage assessments and work to help our people recover and rebuild, we want to make sure everyone remains alert with a considerable amount of debris left over from the flooding and temperatures on the rise. Please be careful, check on your neighbors, and let’s do what we can to keep everyone safe.”
A map of cooling centers in Kentucky can be found online. As of Tuesday morning, the map showed 13 centers open. Beshear advised Kentuckians to take precautions like hydrating, wearing light clothing, staying in air conditioning, bringing pets inside and avoiding outdoor activities during the warmest times of the day.
Over the weekend, some parts of Kentucky faced heavy floods. Three people died in Madison County and a fourth in Jackson County. Beshear had declared a state of emergency for the event. As of Tuesday, 26 counties and cities have declared a state of emergency. They are Bullitt, Clinton, Cumberland, Garrard, Grayson, Hart, Jackson, Jessamine, Madison, Meade, Mercer, Metcalf, Ohio, Spencer and Wayne counties, plus the cities of Albany, Brandenburg, Burkesville, Hartford, Horse Cave, McKee, Muldraugh, Munfordville, Nicholasville, Richmond and Wilmore.
Beshear said Kentuckians should be careful while cleaning up storm debris, especially in the expected heat. With the Fourth of July holiday coming up, boaters are advised to use caution when on the water and watch for debris.
Kentuckians affected by the storm can report issues to Kentucky Emergency Management via an online unmet needs survey and damage reporting tool.