Federal Emergency Management officials are expected in Pike County, Kentucky Tuesday to assess damage after flash floods over the weekend caused widespread damage to homes, roads and bridges.Judge Executive Wayne Rutherford anticipates the assessment to trigger a federal disaster declaration. That requires damage estimates that exceed $5 million.“A lot of times the other counties get flooded too, and then we put a package together but this time it’s us, so we’re going to have to be hard-nosed as FEMA goes out and does their inspections to make sure they’re fair and they get everything down,” he said.The flash flooding Saturday killed two people and left 10,000 people without water.Emergency shelters are open for those driven from their homes but Rutherford says few people go to them. They instead go to relatives or neighbors.There’s a lot of rebuilding ahead to get electrical power restored, open water lines and rebuild county roads. Rutherford has gone through the process before. This would be the 16th federal disaster declaration Rutherford has been involved in as Pike County Judge.(Story by Ron Smith, Kentucky Public Radio/WEKU, Richmond)
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.
