Appalachians in Kentucky struggle to recover from a barrage of disasters
Eastern Kentucky is historically prone to flooding. As wet air rises against the Appalachian mountains, it naturally releases moisture into the valleys below. But when extreme rainfall encounters the mountainous topography, water is rapidly channeled into low-lying areas and can wash out the region’s many creeks and streams. One study found that during the 2022 floods, a disproportionate number of deaths occurred along or near areas of Troublesome Creek, a tributary of the 168-mile North Fork Kentucky River that has been disrupted by historic mountaintop coal mining.
For many Hazard residents, life has totally changed with more frequent flooding. Like many towns in Appalachia, the community was once a hub for coal production, but economic prospects have declined sharply over the last few decades, straining many longtime residents who are grappling with the economic downturn and flood damage at the same time.
Eastmon, who has lived in Hazard since 2007, says the floods have left her with severe trauma.
“I don’t care whether you hung from a tree or you just saw somebody in the water,” Eastmon said. “You were affected whether you saw it or whether you lived it. Everybody here was affected by it in one way or another.”
Local volunteer firefighter Ronnie Dillion helped rescue Eastmon’s husband, Craig, from floodwaters near Troublesome Creek in 2022. His family has lived in the Hazard area for generations, but Dillion is making plans to leave town in pursuit of work in London, a bigger city about 60 miles west of Hazard. The latest floods were the breaking point for many residents struggling to stay afloat, Dillion said.
The floodwaters made Dillion’s home unlivable, caving in parts of the ceiling. And rebuilding is difficult with few paying jobs available locally, he says.
“It’s home to me, but there’s not a lot for young folks to do here,” Dillion said. “There’s not a lot of opportunity here. You can’t chase your dreams and guarantee that you get a job doing what you love here.”
As of the latest U.S. census survey, over 25% of Perry County residents, where Hazard is located, are living under the federal poverty line. The coal industry provided more than 29,000 jobs at its height in 1990 — since then, roughly 85% of coal jobs in Kentucky have been lost, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics. In Perry County alone, mining employment dropped by 23% in 2023.
Jason Naylor, a researcher at the University of Louisville, is studying climate change in Kentucky. He says that eastern Kentucky is uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts and increased flooding.
“There’s a lot of social vulnerability,” Naylor said, “and potentially more distrust for weather forecasts and any type of public officials.”
Eastmon says some of her neighbors believe the government played a role in causing the 2022 floods and that the community has largely lost faith in public officials in the aftermath of the floods. Eastmon herself has applied to Perry County for a home buyout program, and hopes to move closer to her children.
“I’ve told the story over and over and over in hopes that maybe somebody, somewhere will hear the story and come to our rescue, and get us off my piece of property,” she said.
