SWEPT AWAY
Kentucky flash flood tragedy after four young siblings aged between 1 & 8 killed when they were swept from parents’ arms
A FAMILY has been devastated after four young children were killed after they were swept away from their parents' hands in a Kentucky flood.
Amber Smith and Riley Noble lost their four children - Maddison, 8, Riley Jr, 6, Nevaeh, 4, and Chance, who is 18 months old - when trying to get to safety during Kentucky's flash flood, according to Amber's cousin, Brittany Trejo.
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By 12.30pm on Friday, all four bodies had been found.
At least 14 deaths have been confirmed so far by the coroner in Knott County, where the family had lived.
Although there is no official number, many Kentuckians are presumed to be missing after their houses had been destroyed.
There have been "around 50 air rescues and hundreds of boat rescues," said Governor Andy Beshear.
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The governor declared a state of emergency and the State National Guard was deployed due to the damage of the flood.
President Biden has also approved Beshear's request for a disaster declaration in Kentucky.
"This federal funding is critical for our recovery efforts and Kentuckians impacted by the historic flooding," Beshear tweeted.
The Noble's house had been filled with water on Thursday, July 28, due to the tragic flooding.
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“They got on the roof and the entire underneath washed out with them and the children," Trejo told the .
"They managed to get to a tree and … held the children a few hours before a big tide came and washed them all away at the same time," she said.
"The mother and father were stranded in the tree for 8 hours before anyone got there to help."
In a recently deleted GoFundMe post for the first two children who were found, Trejo said:
"They lost everything they have even no shoes on their feet any and all donations would be greatly appreciated.";
The governor reported the death toll had risen to 16 and is expected to increase.
He said that the number is also "expected to double, and is going to include some children."
"For so many of our residents, we are currently experiencing one of the worst most devastating flooding events in Kentucky's history," Beshear previously said.
Kentucky State Police spokesman Shane Goodall told The Herald-Leader: "the numbers, I think, are going to be really hard to tell right now because some of the people they haven’t got to yet."
He added: "And I'm sure some of the coroners haven't been able to report them."
The Sun reached out to Trejo and Goodall for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Another family who had also tried to get to higher ground was able to be rescued, later telling their story to The Sun.
Brianna Imhoff, her husband, and their dogs were rescued from the torrential downpour in Kentucky when an elderly neighbor shot a gun to alert emergency crews.
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In an exclusive interview, Imhoff said: "I'm just really thankful to be alive.
"It is really hard to start over but I am glad we still own our lives," she added.
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