KY governor declares statewide emergency while flood victims in Eastern KY cleanup

INEZ, Ky (WCHS/WVAH) — Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin has declared a statewide emergency, with heavy rains and flooding causing damage across the state. In Eastern Kentucky one of the hardest hit areas was the Tomahawk community of Martin County.

"I couldn't handle it," said a tearful Ruth Reed as she remembers the last time she was a victim of flooding. She says her heart condition put her in the hospital. With this latest round of flooding she is feeling overwhelmed.

"I tell you I'm just all out gone," said Ruth.

She says the water was eight inches inside her house. Now she is trying to get the energy to cleanup.

"You lose your heart," said Ruth.

Many who live in the Tomahawk community of Martin County say they have never seen flooding like what happened over the weekend, amazed at how quickly the waters rose up.

"It happened so quickly. It was like snap your fingers," said Chris Preece, a flood victim.

He says flood waters were two feet high in his front yard, so he rushed to get his daughter from work Saturday night.

"Before I could make it to Giovanni's in Inez and back, water had already took the barn and it was already knee deep at the barn then and that was within minutes," said Preece.

County leaders estimate about 50 homes in the Tomahawk community were damaged by the flash flooding.

"Lot of bridges washed away and damaged. Lot of the main roads had some damage to it. Lot of our county roads have been effected by it," said Derrick Stepp, a Martin County Magistrate representing the Tomahawk community.

Stepp says teams from the county are traveling the area to talk with homeowners about the damage they suffered in hopes of getting state and federal assistance to recover.