Darryl Lawson and Richard Walker live on the upper floors of a brick apartment building between downtown Richmond and Eastern Kentucky University.
They are among the Madison County residents evacuated during weekend flash flooding that devastated parts of Central Kentucky.
Seventeen Madison County households were displaced in Saturday's event, Gov. Andy Beshear's office reported Sunday, and emergency crews conducted more than 60 water rescues and evacuations statewide.
In all, 18 cities and counties were under a state of emergency by Sunday afternoon after bands of quick, heavy rain fell across already saturated areas.
Lawson said he noticed a lot of rain Friday and early Saturday, but had no idea the lowest floor of his building had flooded.
"I didn't know it was that bad till the police kind of pushed the door open, said, 'Hey, y'all are flooded, you need to get out,'" he said.
A man and a woman, who have yet to be publicly identified by authorities, were found dead in the basement unit, suspected of being trapped by floodwaters. Other tenants who lived downstairs made it out, but just barely, Walker said.
"The water was rushing in so fast, they almost drowned themselves, but they got out of there," he said. "Thank God for that."
The neighbors are two of four confirmed flood deaths Saturday in Madison and Jackson counties. The flooding caused widespread damage statewide to roads, bridges, homes and churches. It knocked out water and power service to some areas, as well.
Lawson isn't sure when or if they'll be allowed to return to their home. For now, the building has been condemned and the power shut off.
"If we're thinking about all, got honest to God, we don't know where we're going to be," Lawson said. "That's just the truth about it. Hopefully, we're back to our place, and everything gets cleared up, but we don't have no idea what's going to happen."
Walker said a dog and a cat also drowned when his building flooded. For now, he is staying at a hotel with his 15-year-old dog, Sugar, who sat quietly in his lap Sunday.
"Her brother was 16, and he just died a week ago," he said. "And so she's grieving over that, you know, that that was her mate for a long time, and now just me and her. I lost my wife a year ago last May, so this is my first year being by myself."
Despite what he's been through, Walker said he was thankful to have made it out.
"So we're just hoping for the best, but expecting the worst in all given situations," he said. "And thank God that we've all still got our health, and we can live on again another day."
Copyright 2026 WEKU