Tag: State of Emergency

4 dead in Kentucky floods, governor declares state of emergency as search and rescue efforts underway

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Flooded residential street with submerged houses and vehicles

Widespread flooding across Kentucky has left at least four dead Saturday, prompting dozens of rescues after heavy rains wiped out bridges, inundated roads and flooded homes, with more significant rainfall on the way. Search and rescue efforts have continued throughout the day. Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed one person died in Jackson County and three others died in Madison County, including a man and woman who officials said drowned in a home that was underwater. A few hours earlier, Beshear said one motorist was killed after being swept away by flash flooding.

The governor declared a state of emergency to deploy more resources while announcing six to seven inches of rain deluged some areas of the state. A second round of rainfall is expected in the evening, and the governor urged people to be cautious and avoid unnecessary driving. ⛈️ Get your forecast on CNN Weather for iPhone “When it gets dark, it’s going to get even worse. So please, do not drive after dark if you can avoid it,” Beshear said. The severe weather is the latest in a history of catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, including deadly flash floods in early 2025 when more than a month’s worth of rain deluged much of the state in less than 24 hours. Dozens of people in Kentucky were killed in 2022 when unprecedented flooding inundated houses and swept away some from their foundations.

Precautionary evacuations are underway in one part of Bullitt County, which has been hit particularly hard by Saturday’s flooding. Officials there are closely monitoring a dam. A portion of the embankment has experienced a landslide, but the dam is holding and there’s no indication of an “imminent failure,” county emergency management officials said. The Millon Church in Richmond appeared to have collapsed, a video showed. Earlier in the day, the church announced its Saturday service was canceled due to the storm, adding: “Praying everyone stays safe.” Photos provided by police in Richmond – about 30 miles south of Lexington – show officers blocking off flooded streets and checking on stranded vehicles almost entirely submerged by rising floodwaters.

In Richmond, the two people who died from suspected drowning were trapped in the basement of a flooded home, police said. The residence was already underwater when police and fire officials arrived at the scene and could not make contact with anyone inside, police said. Rescue teams were later able to make entry and found the bodies of a man and woman, the agency said. Major intersections in the city are flooded, Richmond Mayor Robert Blythe said. He has been receiving calls from residents concerned about their neighbors whose homes are filling with rising water, Blythe told CNN. Richmond, to a certain extent, had been “spared” tragic weather affecting the surrounding area in recent years, the mayor said. But now, he added, “It appears to be our turn.”

Elsewhere in Madison County, “significant roads” are under water, with five search and rescue teams on the ground, the governor said. Five counties, including Bullitt, Madison, Meade, Mercer and Spencer have declared a local state of emergency, the governor’s office said. CNN has contacted those five counties under a local state of emergency for further information about the effects of the flooding. At least 12 roads across the state are flooded and cannot be accessed, while numerous bridges in counties like Jessamine have been “entirely wiped out,” the governor said. Dozens of rescues have been made, Beshear said. The state’s emergency management, state police and swift water rescue teams are responding to emergency requests in local communities, he added. “We know we’ve already lost at least a handful of Kentuckians. I don’t want to lose anymore,” he said, adding the storms have become “much more severe than most would have thought.”

Source: 4 dead in Kentucky floods, governor declares state of emergency as search and rescue efforts underway | CNN

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:14

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Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks ahead of July Fourth as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire

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Utah restricted fireworks and declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States’ largest wildfire expanded its reach across more tinder-dry forest, as crews rush to fight new blazes in the arid state. The National Weather Service issued a rare “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning as dry, windy conditions provided fuel for more fires across the western U.S. The Cottonwood Fire in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah started Monday. It ballooned to more than 112 square miles by Friday, burning unchecked as strong winds grounded air support, forestry officials said.

One of six large wildfires burning in Utah, it severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County, forcing mandatory evacuations.  As of Friday evening, Utah had 10 active wildfires burning across more than 144,700 acres, according to the state’s wildfire dashboard. The Cottonwood Fire had burned nearly 72,000 acres and is at 0% containment.  “We have the 35 miles-per-hour sustained winds that they predicted, and we definitely have the 45 miles-per-hour gusts,” said Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson assigned to the fire. “So there has been a great increase in the fire activity. We are seeing extreme fire behavior out there with some crown runs and definitely some spotting.”

The smoke has been pushing to the east and northeast, meaning air quality at popular vacation spots like Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks — located far south of the flames — hasn’t been significantly affected beyond some haze in the Bryce area. Still, visitors to Bryce have posted videos on social media showing the giant plume in the distance. The smoke could be seen for hundreds of miles, all the way to Colorado, as authorities put roughly 1,300 residents in the towns of Marysvale, Junction and Circleville on notice that they should be prepared to leave if conditions worsen and the fire pushes farther.  State forester Jamie Barnes had said Thursday that it’s like nothing seen in recent memory. She said fires are spreading farther and faster “under conditions that defy historical expectations.”

Bruce Brown, 76, accompanied the sheriff on Thursday to find that his cabin and others in the area were gone. He found a burned-out moonscape with power poles tipped over along the canyon. Alyssa Olsen, 27, said her family’s cabin also burned. It was the last place they gathered for family photos with her grandmother before she died of cancer. Her brother was planning to get married there in two months. “That stuff you can’t just build back,” Olsen said. Gov. Spencer Cox set the temporary fireworks restrictions through July 5 as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, saying “this year is different.” The weather service in Salt Lake City, for the first time in the office’s history, issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning for five Utah counties, including the area of the Cottonwood Fire.

The rare alert was first used to warn of tornado conditions. A red flag warning was also issued for most of the state. “Prepare now for rapid fire growth,” it said. A similar “dangerous situation” warning had been issued for the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of sparking that fire. The jury said it couldn’t agree on a verdict. While the Cottonwood Fire’s cause was unknown, Cox’s order noted that humans have been the cause of most fires in the state so far this year. Utah has seen 376 wildfires this year, and 273 of those were caused by humans, according to Utah’s wildfire data.

wildfire spreads through poprad woodlands

The governor’s order gives Barnes power to restrict or prohibit fireworks displays in Utah’s cities and towns, instead of leaving those decisions to the communities. With extreme fire conditions persisting, Rocky Mountain Power issued a public safety power shut-off watch/warning for areas of central, southern and eastern Utah through the weekend. Crews were also battling the Iron Fire southwest of Salt Lake City. The flames on Thursday forced the temporary evacuation of Eureka, population 1,000. Red flag warnings, which mean conditions such as low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds can create an extreme wildfire risk, were in effect Friday and stretched from Idaho to southern Arizona and New Mexico.

The warnings extended into Saturday, with forecasters predicting winds of 25 to 35 miles an hour and very low humidity levels. The worst conditions were expected from northern Arizona into central and southern Utah. Much of Utah already is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico are experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Tim Brown, a research professor and director of the Western Regional Climate Center, said the potential for extreme fire behavior will remain as long as it’s hot, dry and windy. “I would not be surprised to see a lot of restrictions come out as we get closer to the July Fourth weekend,” he said.

“People really need to be aware of their surroundings if they’re going to be out in the forested campground areas and grassland areas.” Even in Florida, where there have been multiple brush fires, authorities are urging people to skip the personal fireworks and instead leave the pyrotechnics to professionals putting on carefully planned shows. In Utah, federal land managers have closed public lands near the Cottonwood Fire as a precaution, and in New Mexico, forest officials closed campgrounds and trails near a wildfire burning in the Jemez Mountains. Nationally, nearly 3 million acres have burned since the start of the year, pushing the U.S. ahead of the 10-year average. The National Interagency Fire Center said firefighters are making progress on containing fires from Alaska to Florida. 

Source: Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks ahead of July Fourth as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire – CBS Colorado

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:34

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🇺🇸 Memorial Day 🇺🇸

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“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Uniformed soldier saluting in cemetery with American flags on graves and flag at half-staff

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice purchased freedoms we often take for granted, and their courage will never be forgotten. On this Memorial Day, may we pause with gratitude, reflect with humility, and cherish the legacy of those who stood for something greater than themselves. To every fallen hero and every family carrying the weight of loss, thank you. Your sacrifice echoes through generations, and your memory lives on in the heart of a grateful nation.

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
Luke 6:27-28

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New Jersey governor declares state of emergency after April freeze damaged significant portion of crops in state

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selective focus photography of white plant

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Wednesday declared a state of emergency because freezing temperatures this spring damaged crops at local farms. Farmers in the Garden State experienced significant crop loss during the freezing temperatures from April 19 to April 22, an announcement from the governor’s office says.  More than 30% of crops were damaged in some parts of the state, according to research conducted by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and Farm Service Agency county committees. Some growers estimate they will lose 100% of the harvest for certain crops, the announcement says. 

Sherrill has also asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a disaster designation, which would unlock federal relief dollars for farmers in need. The freezing temperatures followed two days of unseasonably warm weather, which caused fruit trees and other crops to enter the flowering stage, the executive order declaring the emergency says. The affected crops include peaches, cherries, pears, grapes, plums, strawberries, blueberries, barley and apples, it says. The statewide declaration “enacts sweeping interagency coordination focused on alleviating further financial losses for those impacted, while underscoring the need for federal support,” the announcement says.

Source: New Jersey governor declares state of emergency after April freeze damaged significant portion of crops in state – CBS Philadelphia

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

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State of Emergency declared as South Georgia wildfires force evacuations, send smoke into metro Atlanta

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aerial firefighting helicopter over turkish forest fire

Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday as fast-moving wildfires in South Georgia prompted evacuations, road closures, and burn bans across the state.  As part of the order, Kemp has directed the Georgia Forestry Commission and other agencies to mobilize resources to help with the response and prohibits any form of price gouging. The order comes as residents across metro Atlanta reported heavy smoke and a strong smell of burning. The smoke drifting north is tied to multiple active fires, including large blazes in Brantley and surrounding counties, according to the commission.

Officials said dry conditions and wind are pushing smoke across the region, at times reducing visibility and affecting air quality.  “With much of Georgia remaining in extreme drought conditions, wildfires have already surpassed the state’s 5-year average and continue to spread,” Kemp said. “My team and I are working closely with Georgia State Forester Johnny Sabo and his team, along with federal, state, and local officials, to ensure we are doing everything possible to combat the fires and provide assistance to affected communities. We are praying for the families who have lost their homes in these devastating conditions, as well as for the first responders working around the clock.” The State of Emergency will be in place for 30 days. Burn ban issued for 91 Georgia counties

Source: State of Emergency declared as South Georgia wildfires force evacuations, send smoke into metro Atlanta – CBS Atlanta

Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:5

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer declares state of emergency for 32 counties following storms

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dramatic thunderstorm with lightning strike

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for 32 counties after overnight Tuesday storms caused significant damage and resulted in tornadoes. The counties under the state of emergency are Alcona, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Barry, Benzie, Charlevoix, Clare, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Iosco, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Menominee, Missaukee, Montcalm, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Osceola, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Saginaw, Shiawassee and Wexford. 

“Significant snowmelt, record rain, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes have damaged homes, roads, and businesses. This emergency declaration will help the state deploy additional resources to help local officials and first responders protect Michiganders and their property,” Whitmer said in a statement. “The state will continue to coordinate with local governments and monitor the situation. I encourage everyone to stay updated and follow guidance from your local emergency manager. We will get through this together.”    This is the second state of emergency that Whitmer has declared in the last week. On April 10, the governor declared a state of emergency in Cheboygan County due to rising water levels at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex. Additionally, Whitmer expanded the State Emergency Operations Center for statewide weather-related matters. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in Michigan. The EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes were located in Allegan, Montcalm and Saginaw counties, which are under the latest state of emergency.

Source: Michigan Gov. Whitmer declares state of emergency for 32 counties following storms – CBS Detroit

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.
Philippians 1:29