Kentucky Flooding A Record-Breaking Event, Officials Say

Officials in Kentucky said flooding that inundated homes and businesses has reached historic levels in some areas.

"This is going to be one that goes into the record books," Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said in a news conference late Tuesday afternoon.

At least 49 counties had issued disaster declarations, according to Dossett. "The water’s still high," he said. "This one is not over at this point.’

While some smaller rivers were receding, some larger ones were either holding steady or slowly rising as the volume of water drains down the watershed, weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said Tuesday evening.

Days of rain that dumped 4 to 7 inches across a wide stretch of the state pushed rivers to levels not seen for decades.