At least 28 people have died following severe flooding in eastern Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday.
Beshear announced the new death toll Sunday evening, increasing the number of fatalities by two from hours earlier.
At least four children were among the dead, he said.
"The loss is unimaginable," he said in a statement. "Please, continue to pray for eastern Kentucky. They need all of our love and support right now."
Boats in the street, whole communities underwater: Photos show parts of Kentucky in ruins amid floods https://t.co/XUptX6VYWL
— Raffaele La Ciura (@LaCiuraRaffaele) July 31, 2022
In a video statement published earlier Sunday, Beshear the flooding has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and displaced hundreds of residents.
"We we are moving, and moving fast," he said.
At total of 359 people were staying at 15 shelters and campgrounds on two state parks that were established to house those displaced by the flooding, according to a statement from his office.
Beshear told NBC News' Meet the Press that officials do know of additional bodies that have been recovered but could not officially confirm those deaths.
"With the level of water, we're going to be finding bodies for weeks, many of them swept hundreds of yards, maybe a quarter-mile-plus from where they were lost," he said.
The governor added that it would take some time "to get a firm grasp on" how many people are missing since officials did not have "a firm count of how many people were there to begin with" and additional rain could complicate rescue and recovery efforts.
"We're doubling our National Guard," he said. "We're going to work to go door to door, work to find, again, as many people as we can. We're even going to work through the rain."
Beshear warned residents to be prepared for more heavy rains on Sunday night as the National Weather Service in Louisville issued a flood watch through 8 a.m. Monday morning in portions of central and Eastern Kentucky.
He was expected to visit the region Sunday to visit emergency operations centers and meet with local officials and residents in counties impacted by the floods.
Climate change isn’t about the end of humanity. It’s about the impact on human lives.
— Trenton Lee (@trentplaysbass) July 28, 2022
Floods in eastern Kentucky, winter storm in Texas, roads melting in England. This is the cost of fossil fuels that we don’t think about when we go to the pump.pic.twitter.com/cLAVVtugIZ
The White House also added individual assistance to President Joe Biden's Major Disaster declaration to provide aide to those who "have lost everything" in Eastern Kentucky.
"I'm taking more action to help the families being displaced and lives lost," he said.
Beshear said the state must "build back stronger" to provide roads, bridges, culverts, water, waste water systems and flood walls that can stand up to the impacts of climate change.
"The infrastructure is so expensive," he said. "If we truly want to be more resilient, it is going to take a major federal investment, as well as her in the state. We're ready to do our part."
This article is adapted from its original source.
