Kentucky Boy’s Death Raises Questions About Why Schools Weren’t Canceled

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A 9-year-old Kentucky boy who died in floodwaters while walking to catch his school bus was remembered by his classroom teacher as the “sweetest, kindest boy.”

The death of Gabriel Andrews stunned residents in the Bluegrass State’s capital city. The boy was caught in floodwaters early Friday while walking to the bus stop, police said. After an extensive search, his body was found about two hours after police were notified.

Region Swamped

Flash flood emergency and tornado warnings were issued Saturday across Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, with more heavy rains and damaging winds in the mix. All of eastern Kentucky was under a flood watch through Sunday morning. Hundreds of Kentucky roads across the state were impassable because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides. Downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reopened in the morning after floodwaters from the Little River receded, giving a much-needed reprieve, but still more rainfall was on its way, Mayor James R. Knight Jr. said. “We got a little rain, but most of it went north of us,” Knight said. “Thank goodness on that. Gave us a little break.” In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in a bend of the rising Licking River. The warnings were similar to catastrophic flooding nearly 30 years ago when the river reached a record 50 feet (15 meters), resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed. The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky — a city of 31,000 residents 72 miles (116 kilometers) northwest of Nashville, Tennessee — was submerged. The first wave of storms killed at least five people in Tennessee and one each in Missouri and Indiana on Wednesday and Thursday. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called the devastation in his state “enormous” and said it was too early to know whether there were more deaths as searches continued. Since last Wednesday, more than a foot of rain (30.5 centimeters) has fallen in parts of Kentucky, and more than 8 inches (20 centimeters) in parts of Arkansas and Missouri, forecasters said Saturday. Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in a social media post, said “my heart breaks for this family.”

Gabriel’s teacher, Kasey Swails, said an “important part” of her “classroom family was taken from us.” She called him the “sweetest, kindest boy who was impossible not to love.”

In her social media post Friday, she said Gabriel “loved basketball and anything to do with a police car, who tried his best at any task given him. Who was a friend to all.”

“Being a teacher means you pour into and love on someone else’s kid like they are your own,” she wrote. “And today has been the most heartbreaking day in my teaching career.”

Gabriel’s death sparked questions from some who wondered why the Franklin County school district chose not to cancel in-person classes Friday when strong storms produced flash flooding.

Caitlin Green, a Franklin County parent, was among those baffled by the decision.

“You’re taking the chance on, you know, putting these kids on a bus through this weather, not knowing, you know, if they’re going to run into flooded waters,” she told Lexington TV station WDKY.

Several other school districts in the area canceled classes Friday.

Franklin County schools Superintendent Mark Kopp said the boy’s death was a “horrific tragedy.”

“We are more than a school system, we are a family at Franklin County Schools, and we share this loss together,” the superintendent said.

The school district did not respond to social media comments from parents who raised concerns that classes were held despite flooding in the region.

Photo: An aerial view of flooded property in Frankfort last week. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)