At least 8 dead in Kentucky from widespread flooding. What we know about the victims

At least eight people are dead in Kentucky from flood-related causes, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news conference Sunday afternoon.

Devastating floodwaters have inundated the commonwealth over the past 48 hours after more than 6 inches of rain fell in some areas. Beshear said more than 1,000 water rescues have taken place over the weekend and crews are still responding to hard-hit areas in several counties.

“Unfortunately, this disaster is taking a toll in terms of human life,” he said

Among the deceased are a 7-year-old child and their mother, who were found in a submerged vehicle Saturday night on Campground Road at Bacon Creek Bridge in Bonnieville, Hart County Coroner Anthony Roberts told The Courier Journal. Their identities have not been shared publicly at the family’s request.

Another flood-related death in south central Kentucky was reported earlier Saturday. Sometime before 10 a.m., a man identified by the Hart County Coroner’s Office as William Rutledge, 59, of Etoile, was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 65 near Cave City, Kentucky State Police Trooper Katan Parker said in a statement. A preliminary investigation revealed the pickup truck Rutledge was driving went off the roadway and overturned. Investigators determined the accident to be weather-related.

Live weather updates: Flooding continues in Kentucky from heavy weekend rains

A 73-year-old Manchester man also died as evacuations in Clay County began Saturday.

According to a report from The Manchester Enterprise, the man, later identified by the Clay County Coroner’s Office as Donald Keith Nicholson, was driving through floodwaters and “was unable to cross, so he exited the vehicle and was swept away by heavy current several hundred feet from his truck.”

Beshear said other confirmed victims of the flooding include: