Mud, Rain, Debris, Hamper Search for Kentucky Flood Victims

Rescue crews combing hilly Appalachian terrain Tuesday were hampered by more heavy rains, swarming mosquitoes, soupy humidity and knee-deep mud. Authorities called off the search around 8 p.m. Tuesday, but resumed Wednesday morning after a convoy of National Guard vehicles and heavy equipment, including excavators and dump trucks, traveled down the road toward the hardest hit area. Kentucky State Police Trooper Steven Mounts said that on Tuesday, emergency personnel went door-to-door in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, searching for those who might be trapped in their homes. Police told a news conference that the search area stretches more than 8 miles, from the town of Flat Gap south to Staffordsville — an area with 500 homes and 1,200 residents about 120 miles east of Lexington.