Images of severe flooding in Appalachia, Kentucky, that left at least eight dead | News Univision United States

An aerial view of flooded homes and structures near Quicksand, Kentucky.

State Governor Andy Beshear announced the deaths but grimly predicted the number in the state could reach double digits and hundreds of properties could be destroyed.

“In a word, this event is devastating,” the governor said Thursday. “And I think it’s going to end up being one of the most significant and deadly floods that we’ve had in Kentucky in at least a long time,” he said.