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Light rain started to fall overnight on July 25, 2022, and continued intermittently for around five days.
According to the National Weather Service, it’s estimated that the Commonwealth received upwards of 16 inches of rainfall.
“These rainfall values occurring in such a short period of time are incredibly rare: there is less than a 1 in 1000 chance for this much rainfall over five days in a given year,” the weather service wrote.
In total, 24 Flash Flood Warnings were issued, 13 of which were issued between July 27 and the early morning hours of July 28 alone.
The colossal amount of rain swelled Kentucky’s rivers to record-breaking levels that left even more destruction in its wake.
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“At Whitesburg, the North Fork of the Kentucky River swelled well above major flood stage, reaching close to 21′ before gauge failure (the previous flood of record was 14.7′ in 1957). The North Fork of the Kentucky River at Jackson also reached a major flood stage, setting a new record crest of 43.47′ (the previous record was 43.1′ set in 1939),” per the weather service.
Rivers swallowed whole communities as those who called them home tried to escape. Rescue squads were deployed, evacuating families from their homes by boat and helicopter. Phillip Dix led a Memphis-based rescue team that worked tirelessly to comb through debris-clogged creek banks searching for survivors.
“The area that we were in, the houses were just gone,” Dix said. “These people that have lost everything they’ve got, they still make it a point to thank us for being up here.”
He told the Associated Press that his team made 16 rescues in two days and the unfortunate discovery of two bodies. Those who were rescued had no way out, no way to call for help, no electricity, and some were even running short of food.
“The guys are tired,” Dix said.
Over 1,300 people were rescued throughout the scope of the disaster, the AP reported, and 45 died.
Some residents narrowly escaped the rising water with nothing but the clothes on their backs, only to return home and find their lives as they knew them washed away.
Willie Bush Jr., a farmer in Breathitt County, was among the many people FOX 56 spoke to who were left figuring out how to start over. He said his crops were just about ready for harvest when the rain and flooding hit. Bush not only lost his crops but also the home he built, along with his daughter’s and granddaughter’s homes right next to his.
“It got eight feet higher than it did two years ago,” Bush said.
He said he could still see what looked like a tidal wave coming at him.
“This water is like five or six feet high; it looked like a surf coming in. You see these surfers. If a man had a surfboard, he could have ridden it out,” Bush said. “It was amazing how fast, in an hour and a half, it rose 20-something feet.”
Not only did Bush’s home and crops wash away, but so did his hopes.
“It’s depressing. Four times. We never had water problems here since ’84, and since I’ve bought it, we’ve had it four times,” Bush said.
He emphasized that this part of the region faces a unique challenge when recovering from disasters such as these.
“The strip mining cuts half the hill down to where there’s nothing to absorb the water,” Bush said. “And then the loggers, this is just my opinion, they take those dozers and they trap, them around the hill, pull a tree down, and all that leaves is just a drain straight down to the rivers.”
He felt as if there was only one thing he could do.
“There’s no getting away from it except to move; that’s what we might end up doing. It’s hard to find a place to move to, though,” Bush expressed.
He wasn’t wrong.
Nearly three years later, Breathitt County was hit again as floods impacted 50 homes, according to the Housing Development Alliance. 10 homes were completely destroyed.
“This is our second major flood disaster in less than 3 years, and it seems like these weather-related events are happening more and more frequently,” said HDA Executive Director Scott McReynolds. “The sense of urgency we had after the 2022 flood about getting people to higher ground is at an all-time high now. We have to get people out of harm’s way. That means we need to focus on building homes in safer locations, and we have to build a lot of them, and we need to build them as fast as possible.”
Gov. Andy Beshear is working toward that goal. In 2023, the governor announced an initiative to construct affordable high-ground communities and move residents from flood-ridden areas.
“We made a promise to Eastern Kentucky that we would be here until every life and structure is rebuilt,” Beshear said. “Every Kentuckian deserves that safe place where they can get a fresh start and make new memories with their kids and grandkids.”
The state is still working to ensure eastern Kentucky residents have a safe place to live. Beshear just visited Floyd County on July 23, announcing that more affordable and safe housing is on the horizon.
“Today, we take steps to restore our people’s feeling of safety, their security, that idea that you should feel safe in your home,” Beshear said during the groundbreaking of the New Hope Estates subdivision. “Every time you look at a family that you’re building a home for, that’s been through the worst, it’s special. You see God in that moment.”
If you’re a victim of eastern Kentucky flooding, click here to learn more about assistance available to you.
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