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u.s. news Diasabra 30 Juli 2022

Appalachian flooding deaths set to climb; more rain forecast

(AP) — Trapped hom- take weeks to account for all teams reach more areas.
eowners swam to safety victims, he said.
and others were rescued At least 33,000 utility cus-
by boat as record flash Patricia Colombo, 63, of Haz- tomers were without power.
flooding killed at least 16 ard, Kentucky, got stranded The flooding extended into
people in Kentucky and after her car stalled in flood- western Virginia and south-
swamped entire Appala- waters on a state highway. ern West Virginia, across a
chian towns, prompting a Colombo began to panic region where poverty is en-
frenzied search for survi- when water started rushing demic.
vors Friday through some in. Her phone was dead, but
of the poorest communi- she saw a helicopter overhead “There are hundreds of fami-
ties in America. and waved it down. The he- lies that have lost everything,”
licopter crew radioed a team Beshear said. “And many of
Authorities warned the death on the ground that pulled her these families didn’t have
toll would likely grow sharp- safely from her car. much to begin with. And so
ly as search efforts continued. it hurts even more. But we’re
The rain let up early Friday Colombo stayed the night at going to be there for them.” Louis dropped more than 12 so extensive, the governor
morning, but some water- her fiance’s home in Jackson inches (31 centimeters) and opened an online portal for
ways were not expected to and they took turns sleeping, Extreme rain events have be- killed at least two people. Last donations to the victims.
crest until Saturday and more repeatedly checking the wa- come more common as cli- month, heavy rain on moun-
storms were forecast to roll ter with flashlights to see if it mate change bakes the planet tain snow in Yellowstone Na- President Joe Biden called to
through the region early next was rising. Colombo lost her and alters weather patterns, tional Park triggered historic express his support for what
week. car but said others who were according to scientists. That’s flooding and the evacuation will be a lengthy recovery ef-
struggling prior to the floods a growing challenge for offi- of more than 10,000 people. fort, Beshear said, predicting
It’s the latest in a string of had it worse. cials during disasters, because In both instances, the rain it will take more than a year
catastrophic deluges that models used to predict storm flooding far exceeded what to fully rebuild.
have hammered parts of the “Many of these people can- impacts are in part based on forecasters predicted.
U.S. this summer, including not recover out here. They past events and can’t keep up Biden also declared a fed-
St. Louis earlier this week have homes that are half un- with increasingly devastating The floodwaters raging eral disaster to direct relief
and again on Friday. Scien- derwater, they’ve lost every- flash floods, hurricanes and through Appalachia were money to more than a dozen
tists warn climate change thing,” she said. heat waves. so swift that some people Kentucky counties, and the
is making weather disasters trapped in their homes Federal Emergency Manage-
more common. The water came into Rachel “This is what climate change couldn’t be immediately ment Agency appointed an
Patton’s Floyd County home looks like,” meteorologist reached, said Floyd County officer to coordinate the re-
Water poured down hillsides so quickly that her mother, and Weather Underground Judge-Executive Robbie Wil- covery. FEMA Administra-
and into Appalachian valleys who is on oxygen, had to be founder Jeff Masters said of liams. tor Deanne Criswell said at a
and hollows where it swelled evacuated on a door floated flooding in Appalachia and briefing with Beshear that the
creeks and streams coursing across the high water. Pat- the Midwest. “These ex- Just to the west in hard-hit agency would bring whatever
through small towns. The ton’s voice faltered as she treme rainfall events are the Perry County, authorities resources were necessary to
torrent engulfed homes and described their harrowing type you would expect to see said some people remained support search and recovery
businesses and trashed ve- escape. in a warming world.” unaccounted for and almost efforts.
hicles. Mudslides marooned everyone in the area had suf-
some people on steep slopes. “We had to swim out and it A day before the floods hit fered some sort of damage. Even the governor had prob-
was cold. It was over my head Appalachia, the National lems reaching the devasta-
Rescue teams backed by the so it was, it was scary,” she Weather Service had said “We’ve still got a lot of search- tion. His initial plans to tour
National Guard used heli- told WCHS. Wednesday that there was a ing to do,” said Jerry Stacy, the disaster area were post-
copters and boats to search “slight to moderate risk of the emergency management poned Friday because of un-
for the missing. But some ar- Beshear told The Associated flash flooding” across the re- director in Perry County. safe conditions at an airport
eas remained inaccessible and Press that at least two chil- gion on Thursday. where he was to land. He got
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear dren were among the victims More than 290 people have a look at the flooding later in
said the death toll was “going and that the death toll could The deluge came two days sought shelter, Beshear said. the day aboard a helicopter.
to get a lot higher.” It could more than double as rescue after record rains around St. And with property damage

White House: No need for tensions if Pelosi visits Taiwan

(AP) — There’s no reason John Kirby came as Pelosi, excited that should we go to concerns. China considers defense officials who briefed
for China and the U.S. “to D-Calif., offered a rationale the countries, that you’ll be Taiwan its own territory and reporters on Friday declined
come to blows” should for a visit to Asia that she had hearing about along the way has said it might reclaim the to discuss any potential prep-
House Speaker Nancy Pe- yet to publicly acknowledge. about the conversations” she island democracy by force. arations for a trip.
losi visit Taiwan during an Kirby was asked Friday if the would have there. For more than four decades,
Asia trip she is expected U.S. has noticed any Chinese the U.S. has followed a “one Biden has designed his for-
to make soon, the White military preparations due to She noted President Joe China” policy in which it eign policy in part around
House said Friday, under- her travel plans. Biden’s focus on Asia and recognizes Beijing as the gov- countering China’s grow-
scoring the international referenced his recent trip to ernment of China yet main- ing economic and military
tensions surrounding her “There’s no reason for it South Korea and Japan, tell- tains informal relations and might. Pelosi’s itinerary has
travel plans. to come to that, to come to ing reporters, “He has vis- defense ties with Taiwan. also become a domestic po-
blows, to come to increased ited there, his vice president litical issue, with some Re-
The remarks by National physical tension,” Kirby said has visited, the secretary of China has objected strenu- publicans urging her to visit
Security Council spokesman at the White House. “There’s commerce and others. And ously to any Taiwan visit by Taiwan as a show of standing
no reason for that because we want the Congress of the Pelosi, warning of “resolute up to Beijing.
there’s been no change in United States to be part of and strong measures” if she
American policy with respect that initiative.” does. Kirby said Friday that Pelosi
to One China.” “does not need nor nor do we
Pelosi and her aides have not Biden said earlier this month offer approval or disapproval”
Seeming to stop just short confirmed her travel plans that the Pentagon thinks a for travel. And he said, “The
of saying she would travel or named the countries she Pelosi trip to Taiwan is “not a speaker is entitled to travel
there, Pelosi said, “I’m very might visit, citing security good idea right now.” Senior aboard a military aircraft.”