Tragedy struck when a nine year old lad, Gabriel Andrews, was fatally swept away by floodwaters en route to his school bus stop. The young boy's body was discovered half a mile from the spot where he was overtaken by the torrent in Hickory Hills, Kentucky, at approximately 6:30 am today.

This sorrowful event has come at a time when parts of the United States are facing what pundits have described as appalling weather conditions. First responders undertook an extensive operation, involving police, fire brigade and paramedics, culminating in the discovery of his body at 8:45 am. Tragically, he was declared deceased by a medical examiner only thirty minutes later.

Echoing the community's heartache, Franklin County Schools Superintendent Mark Kopp has referred to the incident as a "horrific tragedy" while offering thoughts and prayers to the bereaved family. "We are deeply saddened at this horrific tragedy that claimed the life of one of our students," he lamented on Facebook.

"The entire Franklin County School System is praying for the family and friends of those directly affected by the events this morning", reports The Mirror.

He continued: "We are more than a school system, we are a family at Franklin County Schools, and we share this loss together. At this time, we are working with support staff at our schools and offering services to our students, faculty, and staff who need assistance during this time. We are eternally grateful for our community first responders from both city and county agencies who selflessly responded to assist in this situation."

Mayor Layne Wilkerson expressed her condolences, stating: "On behalf of the entire City of Frankfort, we want to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and everyone directly impacted by this tragedy this morning,".

She continued: "A tragedy such as this is felt by our entire community and we all grieve together. We want to thank all of our community first responders, Frankfort Police Department, Fire and EMS, Emergency Management, and our partners at Franklin County for their rapid response. We encourage our community to be diligent and stay safe during this weekend's continuing severe weather event."

The devastating impact of tornadoes that obliterated entire neighbourhoods and claimed at least seven lives earlier this week has left many communities in shock. Forecasters have issued warnings of potentially "catastrophic" weather, with successive bouts of heavy rainfall anticipated across central US until Saturday.

Satellite images revealed thunderstorms lined up like freight trains over communities in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, as reported by the national Weather Prediction Centre in Maryland.

The central area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, a city of 31,000 residents located 72 miles northwest of Nashville, was inundated. As of the afternoon, a fire official confirmed the rescue of a dozen people and over 40 pets from homes.

Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam reported on the severe flooding, stating: "The main arteries through Hopkinsville are probably 2 feet under water," and added, "So the mayor has closed downtown down for all traffic. Our office is actually in the middle of it, and we were here before the water rose. So there's only one way we could get out."

Local businessman Tony Kirves, alongside friends, battled the deluge with sandbags and a vacuum to protect his photography shop from the encroaching waters in Hopkinsville. Describing the scene, he said the downtown area was "like a lake," and affirmed their efforts by saying, "We're holding ground," and elaborated, "We're trying to maintain and keep it out the best we can."