Search and rescue teams backed by the National Guard are searching flooded Appalachian communities for missing people.

Record floods have wiped out entire communities in some of the poorest places in the United States.

Kentucky’s governor said 15 people have died, a toll he expects to grow as the rain keeps falling.

The Kentucky River crested six feet above its previous record.

Entire towns that hug creeks and streams in narrow valleys were swallowed up.

The water has swept vehicles into useless piles, crunched runaway equipment against bridges and swamped homes and businesses.

Mudslides on steep slopes have left many people marooned and without power, making rescues difficult.