Heavy rains lead to rescues, road closures in Appalachia

Source: AP

By JOHN RABY and REBECCA REYNOLDS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky firefighter Eddie Stacy was turning his firetruck around in the dark while responding to storm damage when he noticed a tiny light coming from the flooded Red River.

It was a cellphone a woman was waving from a car inundated with water that was rising by the minute.

Stacy and other members of the Hazel Green Fire Department sprang into action Sunday night, pulling five people from the car where water was up to the dashboard. Among those rescued were a 17-month-old boy and a woman who appeared to be having a seizure, Stacy said in a telephone interview Monday.

“We don’t do too much training on this water rescue,” Stacy said. “Instinct, it just kicks in.”



Catherine Castle stands on the porch of her home in downtown Paintsville, Ky., as floodwaters approach on Monday, March 1, 2021. (Ryan C. Hemens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/floods-power-outages-kentucky-evacuations-tennessee-2c03eddc4918599e9bd8fa9a976c0edc