FRANKFORT, Ky. — Autumn roared into the Midwest with spring-like rain and storms bringing flash floods, destruction and death last week.

At least nine people in the state are reported dead from the storms including a father and his one year-old daughter who were swept away when his truck skidded into floodwaters.

Many had to be evacuated in the Louisville and Lexington areas and thousands across the region were left without power. State disaster officials said there were evacuations in Jefferson, Hardin, Woodford and Shelby counties. Shelters opened across the state to take those who were left without a place to stay.

Bottomland on many farms became swampland, and what tobacco is left to harvest will take days to dry enough to cut. The forecast for Thursday is rain.

The two days of stormy weather brought as much as 10 inches of rain in some isolated areas, according to the National Weather Service. Most areas got as much as five inches making it the worst flooding the state has seen in nearly a decade when more than 10 inches of rain fell in 30 hours leaving seven people dead in 1997.

The storms subsided by early Sunday morning, but many roads were still water covered. Fifteen counties - so far - have declared states of emergencies giving local officials the opportunity to apply for federal assistance.

This farm news was published in the Sept. 27, 2006 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.