A flood of floods: Appalachians in Kentucky struggle to recover from a barrage of disasters

Record-breaking flash flooding inundated Hazard, Kentucky, in February, devastating homes and infrastructure in the small Appalachian town.

Record-breaking flash flooding inundated Hazard, Kentucky, in February, devastating homes and infrastructure in the small Appalachian town. The North Fork Kentucky River, which runs alongside Hazard’s Main Street, crested at over 30 feet and swamped the small downtown area, destroying several local businesses.

February’s disaster was the second major flash flood to hit Hazard in three years. Many residents of Hazard are still reeling from catastrophic flooding in July 2022, which was driven by five days of record-breaking rain that overflowed creeks and rivers across Kentucky.

Holly-Ann Eastmon, who was in Hazard during the 2022 flood, received a flash flood warning just as floodwaters from nearby Troublesome Creek surrounded her double-wide trailer. High waters ripped the neighbor’s trailer from its foundations, ramming the structure into Eastmon’s home and tearing it in two. Eastmon was swept away by debris-filled water and clung to a tree for almost 12 hours before search-and-rescue helicopters found her.

These days, Eastmon leaves town when the forecast calls for more than 2 inches of rain.

“We pack up our stuff, put it in a U-Haul and we go to a hotel until we can go home,” Eastmon said. “I couldn’t even tell you how many times it’s happened since 2022. It’s just the fear we have.”