July 13, 2025
Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief Director Ron Crow said widespread flooding not only in Kentucky but also nationally could limit how much Southern Baptist Disaster Relief resources may be able to help.
There have been 18 reported deaths, including 10 in Tennessee.
Crow’s team is staying in touch with Emergency Management, Kentucky Associational Mission Strategists, pastors, KYDR volunteers, and friends to determine the next steps.
“Some areas will take days to be able to assess the damage and make a plan,” he said in an email.
All ministry areas within KYDR are on alert status, he said.
Downtown Frankfort, the state's capital, was inundated.
Two people have been reported dead in Kentucky as of Sunday morning: a Nelson County woman found in a submerged car, and a young Frankfort boy swept away by flood waters on his way to the bus stop.
Five counties in Kentucky have had more than nine inches of rain since Thursday, as of Sunday morning. The five are Christian (13.88), Hardin (10.61), Warren (9.88), Ballard (9.71) and Marion (9.45).
Emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth and Butler, Kentucky towns near the bend of the rising Licking River, on Saturday. Thirty years ago, the river reached a record 50 feet, resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed.
An immediate mandatory evacuation order has been issued for several communities in Carroll County after 10 floodgates at Dix’s Dam were “accidentally opened,” Carrollton Mayor Rob Adams said in a video message to residents Sunday afternoon.
Adams later clarified that the Dix Dam releases into the Kentucky River were planned and not accidental like he previously said. Adams said there was a miscommunication when he gave information earlier.
The open floodgates make conditions dangerous for those living along the Kentucky River corridor due to the release of floodwaters. State emergency management officials notified county leaders of the floodgates opening, Adams said.
Carroll County Emergency Management Director Mike Ratliff said state officials have advised it will have a major impact on the area. “The state has advised that the impacts of this major release are unprecedented and unpredictable,” the notice said. “All we know for sure is that this is going to impact our area in a major way.”
In his video message, Adams said it will be unlike anything the area has ever witnessed.
"Areas along the Kentucky River are expected to be impacted by a significant flooding event of which history has never seen," he said. "This is a significant threat that should be taken seriously. If you fail to evacuate, there is no guarantee that resources exist that will provide for your rescue.
"The impact will be, along the Kentucky River corridor, (will be) more than (the 1937 floods), with this release that has happened at Dix's Dam. It exceeds expectations, exceeds any gauges or any data that they have in past history, ever," Adams said in the Facebook video. He urged residents not to try and “ride this out.”
Parts of Carroll County are under mandatory evacuation, including Prestonville, Greensbottom, Happy Hollow, and Blue Lick, according to information from the Carroll County Emergency Management.
The Kentucky River in Carroll County could crest by Tuesday.
Forecasters warned that flooding could persist for days, as torrential rains lingered over many states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Tornadoes are possible in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, forecasters said.
“Thank you for being the light and love of Jesus Christ, bringing help, hope, and healing to those in crisis,” Crow said.
KYDR has another training scheduled for Midway on Saturday, and Crow said they have no plans to cancel. He said they may reduce the ministry areas offered depending on what the week brings, but the training will still happen. There were nearly 100 first-time volunteers registered as of Saturday, he said.
