Eastern Kentucky Forgotten Again Despite Deadly Floods

By: Julian Mok

Lexington — Eastern Kentucky is underwater. The first two weeks of February brought catastrophic flooding to Central Appalachian communities, the likes of which have not been recorded since 1974.

Over two weeks, 300 homes were engulfed by eight inches of rain, which brought the Cumberland River and Kentucky River to their highest levels in 40 years. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in 12 counties, enabling state resources to be utilized in support of those communities. These rural communities have already begun cleanup, relying on themselves as they always have.

Bell, Clay, Harlan, Hickman, Knox, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, McCreary, Metcalfe, Perry and Whitley County were the communities that sustained the most severe damages.

Flash floods, mudslides and massive sinkholes devastated 300 homes and took one life – a 74-year old man who drowned in his own car trying to drive through rising waters to get to work as a security guard in a coal mine. Entire communities are still without water and electricity. Some have lost everything.

Residents assess flood damage in Kentucky Credit: echobase_200

The rain began falling heavily on the night of February 6th, causing the Cumberland River to rise at two feet per hour for several hours. Residents in Barbourville recall “water coming through the walls.”

In some cases, rescue squads had to evacuate homes and perform over 100 high-water rescues to save citizens trapped by waist-high mix of creek water, sewage and debris. Mudslides have also been a serious threat. The Bell County Judge-Executive Albey Brock recalls “countless slides.”

Some slides have caused cars to plunge into the river, spilling fuel which caught and caused the Big Sandy River to burn for two days.

There are few places in America where a burning river does not constitute a front-page headline. Appalachia, however, has often felt blind to national attention. Teresa Tyson, a nurse who travels through Appalachia to deliver health services and an Appalachian herself, remarks how “it’s kind of like we’re the forgotten people. Not only are we vulnerable, but we’re forgotten and lots of people feel like they do not matter.”

In the rare instances that rural America is brought to the forefront, its portrayal ranges from comedic to pitiful to outright nightmarish. Opinions of Appalachia have been shaped by one-dimensional caricatures like those presented in a best-selling novel and movie “Deliverance.”

Whitley County has sustained $1 million in damage, but there has not been a single campaign to raise money for repairs. Appalachian communities rely on national and state agencies like the Red Cross, the US Army Corp of Engineers and the Kentucky National Guard to rebuild.

Governor Beshear has provided a $500,000 clean-up grant available to eligible counties that would help cover the cost of collecting and disposing of municipal solid waste resulting from the flooding.

The American Meteorological Society predicts that the likelihood of floods will continue to increase in this area. However, citizens in these southeastern counties of Kentucky are unlikely to leave. What others call “the middle of nowhere” or “flyover country” is home to them. These communities are closely connected to their hills and creeks and extremely proud of their deep roots. As more rain is projected for Appalachia, moving towards Alabama and Mississippi, we can be sure that these communities will persevere through hell or high-water.