BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
MARTIN COUNTY — Homes submerged, roads washed away and families stranded—this was the scene across the Tug Valley after floodwaters surged through the region over the weekend, cutting off communities and leaving thousands without power.
In Kermit, the Tug Fork River crested at 51.22 feet at 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 17, marking its second-highest level since April 6, 1977, when it reached 54.5 feet. Flood stage in Kermit is 38 feet. Upstream in Williamson, the river rose to 48.35 feet at 1 p.m. Sunday, its second-highest level since reaching 52.56 feet on April 5, 1977. Flood stage there is 27 feet.
The devastation followed rainfall amounts that ranged from 2 to 6 inches throughout the area, according to the National Weather Service.
South of Lovely, residents along Route 292 waded through waist-deep water, clutching whatever they could carry—family photos, clothes, small appliances—before their homes filled with mud and debris.
Diana and George Newsome stood by, helpless to stop the rising water.
“I’ve lived here 21 years and have never seen it this big, and it’s still rising,” Diana said. “I really hope it stops.”
Farther south near Huntleyville Park, Jerry Maynard and his daughter Barbiann Maynard found themselves trapped. As the water rose past his waist, Jerry had no choice but to flee. Barbiann, who had undergone surgery the previous day, was unable to risk wading through the flood and climbed to the highest level of their home. From a window, she watched helplessly as a neighbor’s house caught fire and burned to the ground.
“There was nothing anyone could do,” she said. “We just had to sit there and watch it happen.”
On North Wolf Creek, 17-year-old Cierra Adkins stayed in her car between Buck Branch and Webbville as backwaters from the Tug forced Wolf Creek out of its banks, surrounding her. Adkins called 911 early Sunday morning and lost hope when the dispatcher said there was no one to send. She stayed on North Wolf Creek until Monday evening when the National Guard finally reached her.
Andrew Gess moved what he could to the upper level of his home on Riverfront Road before taking his family to his mother’s home on higher ground.
“It’s the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime of 40 years,” he said. “My house is raised but surrounded by water. My heart breaks for so many who have lost everything.”
As the water continued to rise, first responders launched boat rescues Sunday, navigating swift currents to reach stranded families where it was safe to do so. Inez Fire Department Assistant Chief Jarrod Slone said crews worked nonstop, but by Monday, the situation had become overwhelming. Help arrived from the Kentucky National Guard, which evacuated 296 residents from Riverside Apartments and Dempsey Housing in Warfield after both complexes became surrounded by floodwaters.
Troops, including Airmen from the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, airlifted residents to Big Sandy Regional Airport in Debord using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Indiana Army National Guard and the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade. At the airport, a Contingency Response team from the Kentucky Air National Guard set up a passenger terminal to process evacuees and worked with Kentucky State Police to transport them to a shelter at Inez Elementary School.
The scale of the response brought teams from Ohio, Indiana, and Owensboro, alongside Martin County EMS, the Inez Fire Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and the county rescue squad. Slone said everyone worked together to make sure as many people as possible were brought to safety.
Rescues by boat continued late into Monday evening as officials worked to reach those still stranded.
In the aftermath, relief efforts are underway. A donation and distribution center has been established at the Inez Free Will Baptist Church. Shelters remain open at Inez Elementary and Eden Elementary for displaced residents. Those in need of assistance can call Martin County Dispatch’s non-emergency line at 606-298-3211.
In Kermit, a donation and distribution center, as well as a shelter, are set up at the old Kermit gym.
Appalachia Reach Out has launched a flood relief effort to support Martin County, Perry County, and other parts of Eastern Kentucky. Donations can be made at appalachiareachout.com.
Christian Help of Mingo County, serving Mingo, Martin and Wayne counties, is also coordinating relief efforts and accepting donations at christianhelpmingo.org.
As floodwaters recede, the true toll of the disaster is only beginning to emerge. Officials are still assessing the damage, but with a federal disaster declaration expected, FEMA will assist local agencies in evaluating losses. Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty, who has been present throughout the rescues and the entire response, is urging residents affected by the flooding to call his office at 606-298-2800 and report damage. He emphasized the importance of taking photographs before beginning cleanup.
Families are returning to waterlogged homes, digging through the wreckage and starting the cleanup. Martin County Solid Waste coordinator Eric Phelps said residents can bring flood debris to designated drop-off sites at Turkey Hill, Buck Creek Hill and across from Joy Manufacturing on Route 1714 in Lovely. Open-top containers are available at these locations for household waste, while designated areas will be marked for other debris. Phelps is asking residents to keep the sites as organized as possible.
Across the state, at least 14 lives were lost.
This is a developing story. For updates, visit mountaincitizen.com and follow the newspaper on social media.