Flood — Edmonson, Kentucky

2019-12-02 · near Nick, Edmonson, Kentucky

Event narrative

On December 2, a 28 year old woman with her two children - a 7-year old and a 20-month old - drove around a Road Closed barrier blocking a flooded low water crossing on Oak Hill Road in Edmonson County, Kentucky. She accelerated, trying to ford the water. After she made it about a quarter of the way across the bridge through the water, her vehicle nosedived and began filling with water. She and her 7 year old were able to exit the vehicle. A water rescue team located the 20 month old around an hour later. The child was airlifted to a Nashville hospital.

In the end, the woman and her 7 year old were treated locally for hypothermia, and the 20 month old died at the hospital the following day from asphyxiation due to near-drowning.

Wider weather episode

Starting on November 29th, rainfall produced by a warm front moved north over south central Kentucky. Then on November 30th, the same system that produced the warm front, produced more rainfall over south central Kentucky as it pushed a cold front east. By the morning of December 1st, Edmondson County, Kentucky had received 2 to 3 inches of rain. This raised water levels over a low water crossing to levels that caused the county highway department to place Road Closed barrier signs closing the crossing for several days.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.1419, -86.2813)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 870824. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.