Kentucky has suffered from one natural disaster after another. After powerful ice storms, flash flooding, and tornados the past year, the eastern part of the state is seeing floods and tornados again.
Six counties in the Appalachian region have seen over 1,400 people rescued, while thousands have no power. According to officials, over 14 people died in just one county. In Breathitt County, in particular, many more have died, and dozens are missing.
As most of the area is underwater, homes are uninhabitable, and roads are destroyed. “I’ve seen ditches formed where there weren’t ditches because of the rushing water,” said Dan Mosley, the judge-executive.
Rural communities were already on the decline, but these natural disasters are setting them even farther back. “These places were not thriving before,” said Jason Bailey, the executive director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. “To even get back to where they were is a long road.”
“We had a record flood, not 12 months ago, and many families had just started getting their lives back on track,” said Hargis Epperson, the county coroner. “Now it’s happened all over again, worse this time. Everybody’s lost everything, twice.”
The flooding has brought Kentucky’s vulnerability to light. Experts also warn the state to prepare as the weather becomes more powerful. “Let’s be aware that this is a new normal of incredibly catastrophic events, which are going to hit our most vulnerable communities,” says Alex Gibson, the executive director of an education center in Whitesburg.
On the bright side, a mayor from a small community 300 miles away decided to send out supplies after an eastern Kentucky mayor helped with clean-up when they were in the same situation. While at least 26 have passed from these floods and tornados, acts of kindness from other communities have exhibited the generous culture in Kentucky to push through disaster together.
Link To Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/30/us/kentucky-flooding-natural-disasters.html
Six counties in the Appalachian region have seen over 1,400 people rescued, while thousands have no power. According to officials, over 14 people died in just one county. In Breathitt County, in particular, many more have died, and dozens are missing.
As most of the area is underwater, homes are uninhabitable, and roads are destroyed. “I’ve seen ditches formed where there weren’t ditches because of the rushing water,” said Dan Mosley, the judge-executive.
Rural communities were already on the decline, but these natural disasters are setting them even farther back. “These places were not thriving before,” said Jason Bailey, the executive director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. “To even get back to where they were is a long road.”
“We had a record flood, not 12 months ago, and many families had just started getting their lives back on track,” said Hargis Epperson, the county coroner. “Now it’s happened all over again, worse this time. Everybody’s lost everything, twice.”
The flooding has brought Kentucky’s vulnerability to light. Experts also warn the state to prepare as the weather becomes more powerful. “Let’s be aware that this is a new normal of incredibly catastrophic events, which are going to hit our most vulnerable communities,” says Alex Gibson, the executive director of an education center in Whitesburg.
On the bright side, a mayor from a small community 300 miles away decided to send out supplies after an eastern Kentucky mayor helped with clean-up when they were in the same situation. While at least 26 have passed from these floods and tornados, acts of kindness from other communities have exhibited the generous culture in Kentucky to push through disaster together.
Link To Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/30/us/kentucky-flooding-natural-disasters.html
