Fears death toll could rise from 30 as heavy rains pummel Kentucky

Heavy rain has pummeled Kentucky once again, raising fears of further devastating flooding that has already killed 30 people, with hundreds more still missing.

Rainfall of up to two inches an hour was anticipated in some parts of eastern Kentucky on Monday, with the ground already waterlogged from the overnight downpour. With the saturated ground unable to soak up more water, bridges have collapsed under the weight of flooding, isolating towns and communities and hampering rescue missions.

Family members have identified the children to media as Chance Noble, two; Nevaeh Noble, two; Riley Noble Jr, six; and Maddison Noble, eight.

With several western states fighting their own battles against wildfires, extreme heat and prolonged drought, Kamala Harris travelled to Miami on Monday to announce a $1bn package to deal with disasters exacerbated by the climate crisis. The vice-president was briefed by officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) about the multiple calamities striking the country simultaneously.

With Kentucky bracing itself for further flash flooding, state officials were racing against the clock to assist communities before an approaching heatwave adds to the collective misery. Beshear warned that when the rain stops, punishing heat will provide its own dangers.

About 12,000 Kentuckians are without power as a result of destruction to their homes or workplaces. About 300 are in emergency shelters, according to Associated Press.

In the west, wildfires in California and Montana have exploded over the weekend to a vastly greater scale. The McKinney fire in the Klamath national forest in the north of California is burning out of control, compounded by lightning storms and powerful gusty winds, the AP reported.

Montana is wrestling with a massive fire around the town of Elmo, which has grown to 11 sq miles (28 sq km). Strong winds are heightening the threat there, too, as well as scorching temperatures reaching 96F (36C).