Kentucky watches for surging rivers to recede so widespread cleanup can begin

After days of unrelenting downpours swelled rivers to near record levels across Kentucky, residents closely monitored waterways for signs they had crested, but freezing temperatures forecast for Tuesday could complicate any cleanup efforts.

- By BRUCE SCHREINER and KRISTIN M. HALL

Freeze warnings were in effect until early Tuesday for western Kentucky, along with parts of Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, with temperatures potentially dropping as low as 28 degrees (minus 2.2 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.

“This is going to be a dangerous night where temperatures fall, where it gets potentially below freezing so if you’re somewhere that’s very wet, if you’re trying to ride this out in a home that’s had water, tonight could raise concerns of hypothermia,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Monday, urging residents to find a safe place to stay.

Inundated rivers are the latest threat from persistent storms that have killed at least 23 people since last week as they doused the region with heavy rain and spawned destructive tornadoes. At least 157 tornadoes struck within seven days beginning March 30, according to a preliminary report from the weather service.

Though the storms have finally moved on, the flood danger remains high in several other states, including parts of Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana.