ESTILL COUNTY, Ky. — Eight Kentuckians died from the weekend flooding, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky.,said.

Some communities near the Kentucky River, like Estill County, remain under a flood warning.

The water rose quickly over the last 24 hours. On Saturday around 5 p.m. the Kentucky River was sitting around 19 feet and by Sunday at 5 p.m. it was at 30 feet, qualifying as a major flood.

What You Need To Know

  • Eight people have died because of weekend flooding

  •  The Kentucky River is expected to crest on Monday, Feb. 17

  • Many roads in the county are close because of high water

  • Emergency management urges people to avoid traveling on flooded roadways

As the Kentucky River continued to rise, roads disappeared, and trees are being consumed.

“I don’t know how to describe the feeling, it’s just overwhelming,” said Nikki Angel, the owner of Floral Design by Nikki.

Angel was born in Thailand but moved to Kentucky 22 years ago. Her flower shop has been in Irvine for 15 years.

“I have to drive an hour come to work every day and back home, but nothing gonna stop me to come here to Irvine because this is my hometown,” she said.

With water quickly rising behind her store, she is moving thing to higher ground to try to save what she can.

 “I don’t have much time to prepare because I just get over from the Valentine’s Day orders days ago. So, you know, everything’s still on the floor. I don’t have time to prepare,” Angel said.

Her shop faced flooding during Irvine’s last major flood in 2021.

“Still have a water damage line right here,” she said.

Damages cost her around $10,000 in 2021, and now she’s hoping that this flood won’t be as bad.

“I just try to focus on do[ing] the best I can right now to save as much as I can on my stuff here,” Angel said.

Estill County Emergency Management said as of Sunday afternoon there were no reports of extensive home damage or any water rescues.

“We are having more affected roadways. We don’t have any homes that I know of that are affected right now, but the, the flood event is well underway,” said Ronnie Riddell, the director of Estill County Emergency Management.

Many people live near the water, but as Riddell said, flooding is a part of life there.

“We’ve had some concerns here. It got pretty close to our house. It got up to our back gate to our back fence in the floods back in like 2021. It doesn’t seem like it’s been as bad this year. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be as bad this time,” said Jeremy Baber, who lives in Ravenna, Kentucky..

For now, many who live here are waiting to see what happens.

“How you can control the mother nature? You can’t. It is what it is,” Angel said.

Riddel said as of now the river is expected to crest around 35 feet between Monday morning and afternoon. That’s about five feet less than 2021.

Riddel urged people to avoid walking or driving through a flooded roadway.

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