More than a dozen MC homes affected

BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — In the dark of the night while many eastern Kentucky families were asleep July 26, storms dumped up to 10 inches of rain in some locations, killing more than three dozen people and destroying homes, property and entire towns.

By Tuesday, there had been 37 confirmed fatalities in five counties: eight in Breathitt; two in Clay; 17 in Knott (13 adults and four children; children are from the same family); three in Letcher; and seven in Perry).

Images of the affected areas are likened to a war zone. For those who lived through the nightmare, this is an accurate description. 

Eastern Kentucky residents are not strangers to flash flooding; they have rebuilt from past floods. However, many are reported as saying this flood may be one they cannot recover from. 

Martin County Judge-Executive Colby Kirk said he is thankful that the county, for the most part, “dodged the bullet.”

Martin County did not receive the amount of rain that fell on Floyd, Pike, Breathitt, Knott, Clay, Perry and Letcher counties.

“I’m by far not trying to downplay those affected by the flash floods here in Martin County,” said the judge. “But we are very grateful that there was no loss of life and that the number of homes affected was minimal.”

Thursday evening, approximately 3 inches of rain fell in Inez and the northern portion of the county in a very short time, causing flash flooding in the Inez, Tomahawk, Davella and Old Route 3 areas.

Floodwaters and mud entered Inez City Hall and the Inez Volunteer Fire Department and filled Main Street and parking lots. Water and mud swept down the hillside and through a home on Whickerfield Road, and a resident on Turkey Creek reported the same happened at her home.

Inez Fire Chief Lee Gauze said that due to the amount of rain that fell within 20 minutes, drainpipes became clogged with mud, rocks and debris, so the water had nowhere to go.

“It came up fast,” Gauze said. “Thankfully we had volunteer firemen spending the night at the station, and they were able to get a handle on the situation quickly. The water regressed fairly quickly.”

The Martin County Road Department garage flooded with over a foot of water. Servpro was working to clean up the building, and the county will dispose of ruined furnishings.

There was heavy road damage on Turkey Creek and Calf Creek.

“We had just paved the roads last year,” said Kirk. “Now, in some areas, it looks like someone took a scraper and just curled back the top layer and pushed it over in the ditch. Thankfully we have all roads open to the public at this time, but getting the repairs completed is not going to be a quick fix. It will take time.”

Additional rains hit the southern part of Martin County hardest Sunday night.

According to Kirk, Emergency Services Director Kayla May reported that 14 homes were affected by the two events, and one was declared uninhabitable. Kirk said May reached out to those families and visited each one, taking water and cleaning supplies to them.

“There were two homes and the Leannah Church flooded in the southern part of the county to add to the list of 12 homes from this side of the hill,” said Kirk.

According to witnesses on South Wolf Creek Monday, a wooden bridge broke loose from the church to Bill Howard’s residence and formed a dam, causing the water to flood the church. One man noted the pulpit stayed dry.

Magistrate Junior Hunt, who was on Wolf Creek after the water receded Monday, said the wooden bridges played a huge part in the flooding.

The highway department removed the old bridge plans and cleared the drains in hopes that future drainage would not be a problem.

Several outbuildings and garages had water on the floor, and multiple gardens were destroyed.

A dozen members of the Kentucky National Guard arrived in the county Tuesday and distributed water in Inez and Pilgrim. They will be here for the next 15 days distributing water and serving other needs.

The county has set up two dumpsters for flood-damaged refuse. One is at the former Inez transfer station beside the ballpark and the other is at the former station on Wolf Creek Road. The county will monitor the dumpsters to ensure that only flood victims use them.

Kirk said residents impacted by flooding should call the county at 606-298-2088 and 606-298-2800, along with Red Cross 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

May advises residents to take photos before making any repairs or cleaning up.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced that President Joe Biden had approved individual assistance for Breathitt, Clay, Perry, Letcher, Knott, Floyd and Pike counties.

“This support is critical for our Eastern Kentucky families as we work together to recover and rebuild,” said the governor. 

“I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky. I wish I could tell you why the areas where people may not have that much continue to get hit and lose everything. I cannot give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it – and the answer is simple…we do everything we can.”

Beshear expressed gratitude to all those who stepped up to assist with water rescues during the historical event, with many volunteers from out of state.

More than 1,300 rescues have been reported, those being by boat, all-terrain vehicles, on foot and helicopter. Individuals were rescued from the water, off rooftops and some had even climbed trees to escape. Sadly, four siblings ages 8, 6, 4 and 2 were swept out of their parents’ arms while clinging to a tree in Knott County. All four bodies were recovered. 

“Entire communities were almost wiped away,” said Judge Kirk. “But what is the hardest of all is thinking of the lives lost, both young and old. One dad perished when his vehicle was swept away in the raging water while trying to get home to save his family. One lady went to check on her elderly neighbor and never made it back home. One after another, the stories are heartbreaking. Reports show that over 100 individuals remain unaccounted for, and I can’t imagine what their family members are going through while waiting for news. I ask everyone to keep them in your prayers.”

To donate items such as water and non-perishable food to counties in need, drop-off sites in Martin County include Warfield City Hall, Inez Freewill Baptist Church, Martin County Board of Education Central Office and Appalachia Reach Out. You can also donate by visiting the website TeamEKyFloodReliefFund.ky.gov, which launched Monday.