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

A convoy of National Guard vehicles and heavy equipment including excavators and dump trucks, are heading into the hardest hit area of flood-plagued eastern Kentucky on Wednesday morning as crews prepare to resume searching for the missing
Mud, Rain, Debris, Hamper Search for Kentucky Flood Victims
Residents of a mobile home park look for belongings after deadly flooding in Flat Gap, Ky., Tuesday, July 14, 2015. AP Photo/David Stephenson
The Associated Press
Updated:

FLAT GAP, Ky.—A convoy of National Guard vehicles and heavy equipment including excavators and dump trucks, are heading into the hardest hit area of flood-plagued eastern Kentucky on Wednesday morning as crews prepare to resume searching for the missing.

Two people were killed and six disappeared in a raging flood that hit the area Monday afternoon.

Rescue crews combing the hilly Appalachian terrain Tuesday were hampered by more heavy rains, swarming mosquitoes, soupy humidity and knee-deep mud.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency to give local officials immediate access to state resources to assist in recovery efforts.

Authorities say the search area stretches more than 8 miles, from the town of Flat Gap south to Staffordsville — a rural area with 500 homes and 1,200 residents.