Andy Beshear, the Kentucky governor, says four people have died as a result of flash floods from thunderstorms that have brought as much as 7in (18cm) of rain to the state.

Beshear confirmed the four deaths in a social media post, noting three people were from Madison county and one was from Jackson county. “Please join Britainy and me as we pray for their families during this difficult time,” Beshear said.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning on Saturday for parts of Kentucky and Indiana.

By late Saturday, some parts of south-western Indiana had already seen between 4in and 10in of rain, with more possible, the weather service said.

Beshear declared a state of emergency on Saturday, saying in a statement that the intense rainfall was expected to continue until 11pm ET.

“This is a serious flooding event, where teams have already had to conduct multiple water rescues from vehicles and homes across the commonwealth,” said Beshear. “As more heavy rain continues through late tonight, we need folks to remain alert and to avoid driving, especially after dark when there is limited visibility.”

In north-western Kentucky, just outside of Louisville, Bullitt county emergency management officials asked residents of a rural road to evacuate as a precaution after a landslide at a dam embankment. The dam was holding and there was no indication of imminent failure, they said.

The area saw about 3in of rain in the past two days, according to the National Weather Service.

Associated Press contributed reporting