Eastern Kentucky flooding.

[kenny thomas]

I'm sure most have heard of the flooding that happened 2 weeks ago in eastern KY. Some areas got 14" of rain in a matter of a few hours. This is steep mountain land so of course all of it ran down hill.
I have been delivering fuel every day to a feeding station at Wal-Mart in Hazard KY and several other areas.
I have seen and worked major hurricanes all across the south and in many ways this is just as bad.
One area yesterday I drove 12 miles on a single lane road that was pretty much gone to get fuel to an area where all other roads had been washed away. Very nervous driving a tandem Peterbuilt with 4800 gallon of fuel with almost no road. One place there was an excavator parked to hold the road and keep me from sliding into the Ky River.
If anyone can help in any way please do. President Biden was there Monday and made promises of help. 39 dead, some areas cant be repaired. Some highways were 5 ft deep in flooding waters. Its hard to describe. Very sad.

 

[jltrent]

Been to that Walmart several times as my son worked in that town almost two years. The town of Hazard is either up high or down low. The more wealthy you are there the higher up on the mountain you lived, so the poor folks got the flooding. I bet were my son worked and the house he stayed in next to the waterway were underwater. Those people need help as the last time I went to Food City I gave a good donation to help. Some pretty poor people to start with, especially with the closure of almost all the coal mines there.

From here I have been three different ways to get there and by helicopter is best as it is some pretty mountainous area.

 

[kenny thomas]

Lots of help coming in but some areas never will be the same.

 

[SmokinM]

Glad you are able to help out Kenny. Sounds like they got it rough. There is a holler just over the mountain from CFPinz place that got hit similarly in 69 during Camille. They say a 50' wall of water came down thru there. To this day there are still cars up in trees and pieces of buildings strewn up thru the mountain. Can't imagine anything like that.

 

[Ky hills]

Some of our church members are part of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team and have been there, and some going back again. They said it was far worse than what was shown in the news.
One man said that they were traveling on a road that was there to drive in in the middle that day, but from the looks of it it may have not been there the next day.
I saw where Lee City Stockyards had raised around $15,000 from proceeds from their kitchen, and items donated to be auctioned off during their sale.
Our local Arby's raised $75,000. from a days proceeds.
From what I understand FEMA has been denying a lot of requests, and our governor has said that was unacceptable.

 

[sstterry]

There is a lot of aid coming from our area. I know that the local Baptist Association is collecting from all over East Tennessee and filling up a warehouse that is to be sent. The company my daughter now works for is filling up a tractor trailer load of supplies to deliver very soon (the President of the company said that what is not donated, the company will buy to fill it up.)

Aside from the terrible loss of life, the destruction of people's entire way of life and all that they owned is terrible. " There but for the grace of God, go I."

 

[kenny thomas]

I forgot to add, Monday there was discussion of not even trying to build back the town of Neon KY. The entire town is ruined.
Heading back to Hazard this morning with fuel.

 

[Ouachita]

I see these tragic events on the news and feel helpless. I want to help, but I can't afford the time away from my business, family, cows………

So I donate to our local church. They set up a great disaster relief program right after Katrina. They bought a tractor trailer rig (reefer) and they have paid drivers ready to load and go when things like this happen.

They are Baptist, but I don't hold that against them.

 

[Ouachita]

Dang, y'all are up early. Top of the morning to y'all! Cept y'all'r an hour ahead, over in those beautiful mountains.

The only place I've ever been that I thought I would like to live there, was that area of eastern Tennessee, southeast Kentucky, west sliver of Virginia. Awesome country and great people.

 

[kenny thomas]

Dang, y'all are up early. Top of the morning to y'all! Cept y'all'r an hour ahead, over in those beautiful mountains.

The only place I've ever been that I thought I would like to live there, was that area of eastern Tennessee, southeast Kentucky, west sliver of Virginia. Awesome country and great people.

That's exactly where I live and trade cattle. That west sliver of Virginia.