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Eastern Kentucky braces for flooding, thunderstorm threats

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Areas of Kentucky impacted by historic flooding are once again being threatened by a weekend of wet weather. 

A slow-moving front across the eastern U.S. will bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to the Ohio Valley and the Northeast. 

According to FOX Weather, most locations can expect one to three inches of rain over the coming days, but higher amounts upwards of three to five inches are possible. 

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Flood Watches for much of the Bluegrass State as well as parts of Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. 

KENTUCKY GOV. BESHEAR, BIDEN TO MEET AFTER DEADLY FLOODING

The heaviest rainfall is expected on Saturday over the Appalachians from western Virginia into northern Georgia. 

Flash flooding is possible there and any storm will be capable or producing torrential rainfall, lightning and strong winds.

  • A trailer home was swept away by massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Lost Creek, Ky.  As residents continued cleaning up from the late July floods that several people, rain started falling on already saturated ground in eastern Kentucky late Friday morning.   (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

  • Debris gathers atop playground equipment after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

  • Debris gathers atop a slide in a children’s play area after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

  • A sign stating “Caught Stealin you won’t be found” is seen on a road leading to homes on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Lost Creek, Kentucky.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

In a media briefing on Friday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear warned residents that the storms could lead to instances of flash flooding, with more rain forecast through next week.

“The ground is already really saturated, and there’s a lot of debris that could cause clogging of waterways that can lead to flooding,” he said. “If we have significant wind, this could lead to some damage. So everybody be weather aware tonight and into Saturday.”

The state has moved past the initial search and rescue phase, but two people were still unaccounted for. 

KENTUCKY STORMS CAUSE FLOOD WARNING ISSUE TO EXTEND THROUGH SUNDAY

There were 37 confirmed fatalities from the extreme weather in five counties.

  • Piles of debris sit near a church after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Lost Creek, Kentucky.   (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

  • A vehicle is abandoned and surrounded by mud caused by massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

  • A vehicle is abandoned and surrounded by mud caused by massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

  • Piles of debris and a mud cover road are seen after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Lost Creek, Kentucky.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Heat is also a concern and nine cooling stations were opened in affected counties. 

Nearly 400 National Guard members were supporting the flood efforts. 

Power outages, the number of service connections without water, the number of service connections under Boil Water Advisories and the number of limited and non-operational wastewater systems were all down.

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On Monday President Biden and the first lady are scheduled to travel to eastern Kentucky, where they will join Beshear to visited families and survey recovery efforts.

Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find her on Twitter at @JuliaElenaMusto.