A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
People across the Midwest and South are working to recover from flooding, tornadoes and severe weather. At least 20 people have died. In Kentucky, residents are still waiting for floodwaters to recede. Kentucky Public Radio's Justin Hicks traveled through the region and has this report.
JUSTIN HICKS, BYLINE: Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky. It sits just about midway between Louisville and Lexington, and the Kentucky River runs through it. The river's typically about 10 feet deep, but on Monday morning, it was 48 feet deep. Despite flood walls in place, it began creeping inside shops and homes. Former Mayor John Sower and his wife, Phyllis, rode out the storm.
JOHN SOWER: We're still here. We're Kentuckians. This is the capital city.
HICKS: Their house is now fully encircled by water. It takes wading through murky brown floodwaters to reach them.
(SOUNDBITE OF WATER SLOSHING)
HICKS: Safe and dry on the porch, Phyllis says the basement is full of water.
PHYLLIS SOWER: It's more than 4 feet right now. And we've got stuff floating all over at the base of the stairs, but we are so grateful that it didn't make it to the first floor of this house.
HICKS: The Sowers were luckier than many others. Four are dead in Kentucky as the result of the storms. Hundreds are in temporary shelters. Kentucky's governor, Andy Beshear, walked down the streets of Frankfort with an entourage of emergency officials, assessing damage. He's no stranger to disasters, but this one hit close to home. Beshear says he's stunned that here, the water is higher than he's personally ever seen.
ANDY BESHEAR: This is where I live. I've now helped rebuild from 14 federally declared disasters. But when it's in the town that you live in and your kids live in, it hurts even more.
HICKS: In Louisville, Kentucky's largest city, giant water pumps are whirring away near the Ohio River.
(SOUNDBITE OF WATER PUMPS WHIRRING)
HICKS: Dane Anderson with the local water system says they have 16 pumps, and they've been hard at work.
DANE ANDERSON: This is an extreme event, so now we're battling two different elements here. We're battling not just rainwater, but floodwater. So it's two battles in one that we're up against.
HICKS: Near the pump station, there are still submerged cars and homes, and flood walls are still up. The Ohio River is expected to crest Wednesday at more than 60 feet - one of its highest levels ever.
For NPR News, I'm Justin Hicks in Frankfort.
(SOUNDBITE OF SILENT ISLAND'S "RIVER TALE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.