Washington, Jul 29 (IANS): At least eight people were killed in Kentucky after heavy rain caused "historic" flooding in the eastern part of the US state.

The flooding also left more than 25,000 homes and businesses without power as of Thursday, Xinhua news agency quoted state Governor Andy Beshear as saying to the local media.

Expecting deaths to rise into the double digits, Beshear has declared a state of emergency for all of Kentucky and called in the National Guard to assist in the hardest-hit parts.

The Governor has requested the Federal Government to provide federal aid to eastern Kentucky.

"The damage suffered is enormous and recovery will be a long-term effort," he tweeted late Thursday night.

"This assistance is critical to our efforts and essential for our people."

Meanwhile, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has also declared a state of emergency for six counties.

More than 6 inches of rain lashed the state, leaving streets underwater, local media reported Thursday.

The National Weather Service warned heavy rain and flooding could continue throughout the weekend in parts of Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia.