The mother of a 9 -year -old is talking after she was swept and killed by the waters of the floods in Kentucky during the four days of historical storms that hit the region.
Gabriel Andrews was dragged by the floods on Friday morning while walking towards his school bus stop in Frankfort, according to Franklin’s county forensic office.
A photo of Gabriel Andrews, 9, who died when he was swept in flood waters in Kentucky.
Racheal Andrews
Gabriel, who enjoyed basketball and football, “had the most beautiful smile” and “loved everyone who came into contact,” his mother, Racheal Andrews, told Abc News.
“I am overwhelmed with the love that the community had for my son,” he added.
The four days of mortal storms began on Wednesday, devastating the center of the United States with catastrophic floods and destructive tornadoes. Twenty -three people have died, with deaths that cover Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Indiana.
The floods caused by the rains of the height of the west in Frankfort, Kentucky, on April 7, 2025.
Leandro Lozada/AFP through Getty Images
Franklin County, Kentucky, was struck especially by potentially deadly rain, and Rocheal Andrews said he is “devastated” that the school in person was not canceled on Friday.
“I should never have been at school that day,” he said.
A drone view shows floods in Frankfort, Kentucky, April 7, 2025.
Frankfort Police Department through Reuters
The Franklin County School District is on spring vacation this week and Superintendent Mark Kopp did not immediately respond to ABC News comments on Monday.
But Kopp commented on Gabriel’s death on Friday, saying in a statement: “We are deeply sad for this horrible tragedy.”
“We are more than a school system, we are a family in Franklin County schools and we share this loss together. At this time, we are working with support personnel in our schools and offering services to our students, teachers and staff that need help,” Kopp said. “We are eternally grateful for our community, the lifeguards of the city and county agencies that responded selflessly to help in this situation.”
