Photo: gofundme
As the death toll continues to rise due to flooding in eastern Kentucky, families are sharing heartbreaking stories of loss.
On Friday afternoon, Gov. Andy Beshear announced thatat least 16 people have died, including two children, since the flooding began on Wednesday.Speaking with reportershours later, he said that while he did not have an official update, authorities had located the bodies of an additional four children.
Speaking with the newspaper, Brittany Trejo said that her young cousins, who were between the ages of 1 and 8, were swept away from their parents on Thursday.
“[They] held the children a few hours before a big tide came and wash[ed] them all away at the same time,” Trejo said, according to the outlet.
She went on to tell the newspaper that their parents were “stranded in the tree” for hours “before anyone got there to help.”
Trejo has launched aGoFundMefor the family.
Homes submerged in Jackson, Kentucky, on Thursday.LEANDRO LOZADA/AFP via Getty
As the scope of the devastation in Kentucky continues to unfold, Beshear has repeatedly warned that there will be more fatalities.
Although deaths have been reported in four counties, the majority have been in Knott County, the governor said onFriday afternoon. In addition to the children, the deaths of at least three people in their 60s, two people in their 70s and an 81-year-old woman have been reported in Perry, Knott, Letcher and Clay counties.
“To all the families that know you’ve already sustained a loss, we’re going to grieve with you, we’re going to support you, we’re going to be here for you,” the governor said.
The flooding — which in some areas is not expected to crest until Saturday — has also caused extensive property damage and left thousands without power, according toThe Washington Post. On Friday, President Joe Bidenissued a disaster declaration.
However, experts say that due to the climate crisis, extreme precipitation eventsmay become more common.
“There are many ways that climate change can cause floods,” NPR climate team member Rebecca Hersher explained onFriday’sMorning Editionepisode.
RELATED VIDEO: At Least 16 Dead amid Ky. Flooding, Death Toll Expected to Rise: ‘May Have Even Lost Entire Families’
“The kind of devastating heavy rain that we’ve seen this week is something that climate scientists have predicted for many decades — that, as humans keep burning fossil fuels, the atmosphere gets hotter, the air holds more moisture and so, when it rains, it rains harder,” Hersher added.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Due to human-caused climate change, heavy rainfall is now about 20-40% more likely in eastern Kentucky than it was over 100 years ago,The Washington Postreported, citing theU.S. government’s National Climate Assessment.
NPR’s Hersher pointed out that “unfortunately, these kinds of floods, they’re so frequent that they’re a part of life in some places.”
Speaking withCNNon Friday morning, Beshear acknowledged that even though eastern Kentucky often experiences flooding, “we’ve never seen something like this.”
Rescue team helping a family in Quicksand, Kentucky.Michael Swensen/Getty
In order to reduce the risk of the “new reality” of increasingly dangerous rainfall events, Hersher stressed that “there are lots of ways” to make improvements.
“Basically, you slow the water down, give it safe places to go. For example, have less pavement so the water can soak into the ground,” Hersher shared, noting that building retention ponds and increasing the size of pipes can also help.
source: people.com
