In Hazard, Kentucky days after devastating floods, fire departments and National Guard units raced into eastern Kentucky, saving hundreds of individuals who became stranded in the dangerous water. Bremen, Ky., a little town about 300 miles west of the flood zone, is also getting ready to send a delegation.
The mayor of a small town in the state’s eastern region, Hindman, to Bremen after it was destroyed by one of the largest tornadoes in state history to assist with cleanup. The town of Hindman was among those most severely impacted by this week’s floods. Therefore, even as his own city proceeded to rebuild, the mayor of Bremen quickly started organizing travels across the state with trucks full of goods.
Mayor Allen Miller of Bremen told the Mayor of Hindman, “I said, ‘You were here in December and helped us, now it’s time for me to return the favor.’”
Officials have praised initiatives like these as evidence of a spirit of generosity rooted in Kentucky culture, an attitude established during years of adversity where communities had to rely on one another to survive.
That cycle of aid also serves as a depressing reminder of the unrest brought on by recent natural catastrophes, which have gripped the state and will make recovery from the most recent calamity much more difficult. It may take weeks before the full scope of the casualties and damage is realized, even though authorities initially stated that at least 25 people had died in the floods (that number was later revised to 26 on Sunday morning).
Gov. Andy Beshear said, “I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky,” during a briefing where he updated citizens on the rising death toll and showed a sense of anguish and exhaustion that many have felt in the state following repeated disasters, such as a strong ice storm last year that cut power to 150,000 people in eastern Kentucky, a flash flood last July that left many stranded in their homes, and the uncommon December tornadoes that created nearly 200 miles of destruction that killed 80 people.
“I wish I could tell you why areas where people may not have much continue to get hit and lose everything,” the governor went on. “I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can.”
The mayor of a small town in the state’s eastern region, Hindman, to Bremen after it was destroyed by one of the largest tornadoes in state history to assist with cleanup. The town of Hindman was among those most severely impacted by this week’s floods. Therefore, even as his own city proceeded to rebuild, the mayor of Bremen quickly started organizing travels across the state with trucks full of goods.
Mayor Allen Miller of Bremen told the Mayor of Hindman, “I said, ‘You were here in December and helped us, now it’s time for me to return the favor.’”
Officials have praised initiatives like these as evidence of a spirit of generosity rooted in Kentucky culture, an attitude established during years of adversity where communities had to rely on one another to survive.
That cycle of aid also serves as a depressing reminder of the unrest brought on by recent natural catastrophes, which have gripped the state and will make recovery from the most recent calamity much more difficult. It may take weeks before the full scope of the casualties and damage is realized, even though authorities initially stated that at least 25 people had died in the floods (that number was later revised to 26 on Sunday morning).
Gov. Andy Beshear said, “I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky,” during a briefing where he updated citizens on the rising death toll and showed a sense of anguish and exhaustion that many have felt in the state following repeated disasters, such as a strong ice storm last year that cut power to 150,000 people in eastern Kentucky, a flash flood last July that left many stranded in their homes, and the uncommon December tornadoes that created nearly 200 miles of destruction that killed 80 people.
“I wish I could tell you why areas where people may not have much continue to get hit and lose everything,” the governor went on. “I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can.”
