© Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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JACKSON, Ky. (AP) — Trapped homeowners swam to safety and others were rescued by boat as record flash flooding killed at least 16 people in eastern Kentucky.
The deluge swamped entire Appalachian towns and prompted a frenzied search for survivors through some of the poorest communities in America. Heavy rain continued Friday and authorities warned the death toll would likely grow sharply.
Entire towns that hug creeks and streams in narrow valleys were swallowed up. It’s the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges that have hammered parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis this week.
Scientists warn that climate change is making weather disasters more common.
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