Communities in Kentucky are severely damaged after the state was constantly hit with ice storms, floods, and tornadoes in the previous year. In the past week, they have been struck again with extreme flooding causing many deaths and building damage. Life for people in the communities has been precarious and anxious, especially for people living in the rural parts of Kentucky, which had been struggling even before the natural disasters hit. Thankfully, the communities have managed to stay strong by supporting each other with resources, but people say that more help is needed from others out of the state if the communities are to become strong again.
People in Kentucky are tired of the repeating catastrophes striking Kentucky, but no one knows why Kentucky is the one being targeted. Governor Andy Beshear seemed exhausted just like everyone else and said, “I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky; I wish I could tell you why areas, where people may not have much, continued to get hit and lose everything. I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can.”
Damage has been most devastating on the East side of Kentucky near the Appalachians in about six counties. Houses had been up-rooted and bridge inaccessible, cutting off specific communities. The water was so powerful it formed large ditches everywhere. Harlan County Judge Executive Dan Mosley commented that the worse destruction was seen in the Knott and Letcher counties. “The pure catastrophic loss is hard to put into words. I’ve never seen anything like this in my career or even my life,” he said. Knott County reported the deaths of more than 14 people, which included four children. Rescuers saved 1400 people, but thousands of others were still stranded without electricity.
Breathitt County had been completely submerged in water, reporting four confirmed deaths and over 12 people missing. “We had another flood, a record flood, not 12 months ago, and many families had just started getting their lives back on track. Now it’s happened all over again, worse this time. Everybody’s lost everything, twice,” the county coroner Hargis Epperson said sadly.
Hazard City in Perry County had many seeking shelter in places like the First Presbyterian Church after houses were submerged and even destroyed by mudslides. Red Cross worker Tracy Count acknowledged that there was no running water, so baby wipes were the only thing available to the battered citizens covered in mud and soaking. 48-year-old Melissa Hensley Powell had to pull her paralyzed brother out of the house with the help of her boyfriend before being rescued. “It’s starting to [soak in]. We’re still in that adrenaline rush,” she said two days later.
Luckily, communities in Kentucky teamed up to get each other through the desperate situation. For example, the town of Hindman helped the small community of Bremen last year after tornadoes hit. Now, Bremen is immediately sending resources to the severely flooded town of Hindman. I said, ‘You were here in December and helped us,’” Mayor Allen Miller of Bremen told the mayor of Hindman in a phone call. “‘Now it’s time for me to return the favor.’”
Judge Mosley said, “The strain has been immense, this would be unsurvivable [without the outside support.] The federal government’s resources and our faith in God is the only thing that will get us through this.”
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/30/us/kentucky-flooding-natural-disasters.html
People in Kentucky are tired of the repeating catastrophes striking Kentucky, but no one knows why Kentucky is the one being targeted. Governor Andy Beshear seemed exhausted just like everyone else and said, “I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky; I wish I could tell you why areas, where people may not have much, continued to get hit and lose everything. I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can.”
Damage has been most devastating on the East side of Kentucky near the Appalachians in about six counties. Houses had been up-rooted and bridge inaccessible, cutting off specific communities. The water was so powerful it formed large ditches everywhere. Harlan County Judge Executive Dan Mosley commented that the worse destruction was seen in the Knott and Letcher counties. “The pure catastrophic loss is hard to put into words. I’ve never seen anything like this in my career or even my life,” he said. Knott County reported the deaths of more than 14 people, which included four children. Rescuers saved 1400 people, but thousands of others were still stranded without electricity.
Breathitt County had been completely submerged in water, reporting four confirmed deaths and over 12 people missing. “We had another flood, a record flood, not 12 months ago, and many families had just started getting their lives back on track. Now it’s happened all over again, worse this time. Everybody’s lost everything, twice,” the county coroner Hargis Epperson said sadly.
Hazard City in Perry County had many seeking shelter in places like the First Presbyterian Church after houses were submerged and even destroyed by mudslides. Red Cross worker Tracy Count acknowledged that there was no running water, so baby wipes were the only thing available to the battered citizens covered in mud and soaking. 48-year-old Melissa Hensley Powell had to pull her paralyzed brother out of the house with the help of her boyfriend before being rescued. “It’s starting to [soak in]. We’re still in that adrenaline rush,” she said two days later.
Luckily, communities in Kentucky teamed up to get each other through the desperate situation. For example, the town of Hindman helped the small community of Bremen last year after tornadoes hit. Now, Bremen is immediately sending resources to the severely flooded town of Hindman. I said, ‘You were here in December and helped us,’” Mayor Allen Miller of Bremen told the mayor of Hindman in a phone call. “‘Now it’s time for me to return the favor.’”
Judge Mosley said, “The strain has been immense, this would be unsurvivable [without the outside support.] The federal government’s resources and our faith in God is the only thing that will get us through this.”
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/30/us/kentucky-flooding-natural-disasters.html
