Flooding Creates Local State of Emergency

Subsequent to the torrential rainfall experienced on Saturday June 27, 2026, Jackson County and the City of McKee is under a state of emergency. A state of emergency is a formal government declaration that activates special legal powers to respond to a crisis threatening public safety. A declaration requires the Judge Executive or Mayor of the jurisdiction to file with the state that a state of emergency exists which may exceed their available resources to respond and recover. As rescues began on Saturday afternoon, Judge Executive Paul Hays verbally declared a state of emergency. A formal written declaration was then signed and submitted to the State in the evening.

The county emergency operations plan is enacted, and regular procurement policies are suspended in order to respond and recover to the disaster or event. The Emergency Management agency coordinates the response and operations including the enacting of mutual aid agreements, resource and personnel procurement, and directs the emergency operations center.

The Jackson County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) opened on Saturday at approximately 12:00pm. The EOC is the location where departmental heads, officials, and volunteers meet to coordinate response, survey community and resource needs, and conduct long term recovery planning. The Jackson County EOC will remain activated daily until the local government can resume normal operations.

Jackson County 911 experienced an influx of emergency calls even before flash flooding occurred Saturday morning. Wet roads, roadway ponding, and saturated soil caused vehicle accidents, utility outages, water line breaks, downed trees, and roadway damage. Additional 911 staff were brought in to meet the rising demand of emergency phone and radio traffic. 190 calls were received related to the event.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the City of McKee Police Department, and Kentucky State Police Post 7 Trooper assigned to Jackson County responded to normal operational calls throughout the day along with an influx of burglar alarms caused by power outages. Law enforcement officials augmented local volunteer fire departments and the swift water rescue teams as well. A City of McKee Police cruiser became immobile while trying to stage a rescue when flood waters rapidly raised, washing debris into and onto the cruiser. The officer was uninjured. The officers assisted with the deployment of swift water gear, communications, and coordination of rescues in the Birch Lick area. These officers became stranded in Birch Lick by flood waters for several hours when flood waters peaked behind them, preventing their egress by vehicles south to McKee and north to Sand Gap. The officers were able to leave once flood waters subsided Saturday evening.
The four volunteer fire departments of Jackson County fielded calls all day. Gray Hawk Fire Department responded to a commercial vehicle accident at approximately the 6.5-miles south of McKee on Highway 421 which damaged an electric pole. Firefighters maintained road closure of the highway until the accident could be cleared and utility work could commence. Pond Creek Fire Department responded to the same incident with Gray Hawk.

Additionally, Pond Creek Fire Department and EMS responded to a fatal vehicle collision on Highway 290 Saturday afternoon. Responders had to utilize Mill Creek Road to gain access to the accident due to fallen trees. Pond Creek Fire Department also responded to a residential structure fire on Smith Road. McKee Fire Department provided traffic control, road debris and tree cutting operations, and conducted road closures on flooded roadways. Sand Gap Fire department conducted and coordinated rescue calls from Clover Bottom to Waneta. All fire departments worked together to enact water rescues, coordinate transportation for responders and equipment. All departments checked roadways, navigated for out-of-county crews, and aided in every way possible.

Jackson County does have equipment and trained responders for a swift water rescue team. Equipment is stored centrally at the Jackson County EOC. This equipment was deployed during this event. However, it became impossible to mate the equipment with all of the team members. Team members from Sand Gap Fire Department were unable to travel south toward McKee. A member of Gray Hawk was unable to meet with the other members and we were unable to put the team members with the safety equipment and boat despite best efforts.

While deploying these resources, the calls for rescues exceeded our capabilities. Mutual aid swift water teams from Rockcastle, Laurel, Whitley, and Clark Counties were called in. Other counties also offered their assistance, including the Beatyville-Lee County Swift Water Team and Clay County Emergency Management any assistance they could provide. A swift water team from Brodhead Fire Department and Berea Fire Department deployed in Waneta along with Sand Gap Fire Department to enact rescues. Crews from the London-Laurel County Rescue Squad and Corbin Fire Department deployed in Birch Lick to enact rescues.

Teams from Winchester Fire Department, Woodbine Fire Department, and Ashland Fire Department were in county and conducted a few missions in the Indian Creek area as well as in Lower Clover Bottom. In all, 13 rescue missions of 20 individuals were successfully and safely conducted by first responders.
County Road Department personnel, State Highway Department personnel, and utility personnel from PRTC and Jackson Energy could be observed county wide with their equipment responding to the event. The County Road Department Foreman kept in regular contact with Emergency Management to respond to damaged roadways. Several roads and bridges were closed due to damage. Hurst School Road at Lower Clover Bottom Creek Road; Norris Cemetery Road; and Gay Cemetery Road. Numerous areas of road damage, damaged drain tiles, and culverts are present and will be addressed as soon as possible. The goal at this time is to repair roadways so that they are passable.

Damage assessments have to be taken by Emergency Management to document sustained damages to roads, bridges, homes, businesses, and to address debris. Emergency Management officials began damage assessments Saturday night. A team from Laurel-Whitley County Emergency Management assisted Sunday with surveying damages. Each county has a threshold amount in dollars that has to be met in order to obtain FEMA eligibility, a per capita threshold based on the population.

The Jackson County threshold is $62,961.30 ($4.86 per capita x 12,955 citizens). Damage assessments conducted Saturday night indicate we will exceed the threshold. Regular phone conversations have taken place with state officials Saturday afternoon, including with representatives at the State EOC, Kentucky Emergency Management, and the Kentucky National Guard. The Area 9 Manager for Kentucky Emergency Management deployed to Jackson County where he remains as of the time of his writing, even staying overnight at the EOC Saturday into Sunday.

Moving forward, Emergency Management is assembling crews from other Emergency Management agencies in our region to conduct damage assessments this week. Crews will be visiting business and homes for preliminary damage assessments. Road repairs will continue. Volunteers with the Irvine Baptist Association will be coordinating a resource distribution in front of the Fiscal Court House, 100 Main Street North McKee, KY 40447 beginning tentatively on Tuesday morning; please check social media for announcements and updated information.
Resources and volunteers are being assembled to provide assistance in cleaning homes damaged by flooding. Any resident or business that has sustained damages or residents displaced in need of assistance may contact the Jackson County EOC at 606-287-3838.

Lastly, we want to thank the public and the local businesses for their support. Kind messages and gestures, words of thanks, and meals are much appreciated by our first responders.