Northeastern Kentucky grappled with a destructive deluge that led to devastating floods, claiming at least one life. The Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the heartbreaking death of Rosa Rowland, a 52-year-old woman residing on West Headquarters Road in Nicholas County.
In dire circumstances, Rowland reached out for assistance, making a distress call to Carlisle Police Dispatch from her home. Despite the rapid response of emergency responders from Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office, Nicholas County Fire Department, and Nicholas County Search & Rescue, their efforts were hampered by treacherous floodwaters and downed power lines in the area.
Tragically, by the time responders could reach her location, Rowland’s home had been entirely washed away from its foundation, as confirmed by the Nicholas County Coroner’s Office. The grim aftermath revealed that she had been swept away by the powerful floodwaters. The following morning, her lifeless body was discovered in a field nearly three-quarters of a mile downstream from her former residence.
Nicholas County, situated about 40 miles northeast of Lexington, experienced a deluge of 5 to 6 inches of rain on that fateful night. This catastrophe strikes the region amidst the poignant remembrance of another disastrous flood that occurred a year ago in eastern Kentucky, claiming nearly 40 lives.
