At least 15 people are dead after Kentucky's catastrophic flooding, and the death toll is expected to rise

At least 15 people are dead following catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear told CNN Friday. That number is expected to double, he said, and will include children.

"There's going to be multiple families that we've lost," Beshear told Brianna Keilar on CNN's "New Day." "Kids that won't get the opportunity to grow up and experience so much that we have."

"This is so deadly, and it hit so hard, and it hit in the middle of the night," the governor said, adding that although eastern Kentucky often floods, "we've never seen something like this."

Rescuers are working around the clock to reach difficult-to-access areas from flooding that swept the area after heavy rains Wednesday night into Thursday.

Swollen floodwaters washed out bridges, wiped out power and sent some residents scrambling to their rooftops as water gushed into their homes. Some families' houses and cars were submerged or swept away completely by the flooding, which has been exacerbated by creeks and grounds already soaked from ongoing rainfall.