Whitesburg Kentucky: Aftermath of Historic East Kentucky Floods in Letcher County
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- In the deep dark hills of Eastern Kentucky in July 2022, historic flooding crushed the region. It's hard to put into words the devastation experienced by folks across Eastern Kentucky. The people are resilient by nature, but this is one blow from which it will take years to recover.
Watch this episode as I explore Whitesburg Kentucky in Letcher County during the aftermath of historic flooding that's been compared to Hurricane Katrina in the mountains.
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Thanks for the effort in providing a visual of places I'll probably never visit. In some way, these videos are just as important as some of these small town or county museums because the masses worldwide can view them. Your work is highly important in the preservation of history.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the feedback, it means a lot!!
@@MountainRoots There will be times when you will ask yourself "Is all this time and effort worth it when I can be doing other things?". And I just wanted to comment that it is. It's a good deed and the people in these communities and ghosts of Appalachia's past appreciate you telling their story.
I live in Premium, Kentucky, not far from Whitesburg, so in other words, Whitesburg is my second home. Seeing the devastation really broke mine and my family's hearts!
My dad used to work in the Appalshop since my older brother Stephen West, my older sister Martha Cox(she's married to a Cox) and I were children. He was known as GentleBen West, or just GentleBen, on the radio. He'd play old bluegrass and possibly country music all the time. He retired after our mom became a headstart teacher.
I was in Letcher County the week of this historic flood. We had never had that much water come up from the river so close to our house. It was terrifying. Our family’s been in the county since the late 1700s. We had donated lots of family things to the Appalshop. So heartbreaking how much they lost to the flood, mud, mildew snd mold. LC is beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to drive around and make this video.
Great video. I'm from western Kentucky and we had those tornadoes back on Dec. 10, 2021 that were pretty violent. I know people personally that lost their houses that night. There were crews from areas of east Kentucky that helped with the recovery that were later affected by the flood. West Kentucky crews went over and helped them recover from the flood. Ever heard the saying "From Pikeville to Paducah."? That's how far people in Kentucky will go to help each other. A great place to live.
The ppl of Kentucky are strong willed and determined. This will not thwart them. My heart goes out to them. God Bless the people who has to deal with this and especially those who've lost loved ones. Your family awaits you someday in heaven. Never stop making these docu-videos...
God Bless ya'll, everyone. I'm an Appalachian mountain girl,have seen more than 1 flood in my neck of the woods.God made us people STRONG,we always with God, make itthrough.
God bless you to young lady
God bless you to young lady , I'm from bonnieville KY
I have been through Bonneville....I'm from Pennington Gap Va.
Bonnieville
Love hearing from y'all in the comments!
If only they could rid the area of drugs and the subsequent problems that come with drugs it would be paradise
Great video! I have prayed much for these communities. Their ancestors built this country so they are obviously quite capable of rebuilding their lives. God bless Kentucky!
Thanks for watching! #KentuckyStrong
I remember the morning of the flood we walked in our sunroom open the front door and there was a river running through our front yard and down the highway. I'm 55 year's old lived in whitesburg all my life and I've never seen anything like this before. and pray I never do again.😢
😔
Whitesburg is one of the greatest towns in Kentucky. Used to get there more, now it's like once a year
Just visited Whitesburg last weekend. Met a couple who lost everything in the flood. They were so sweet, yet so tough. Everyone was…Can’t wait to make Whitesburg my home in the next year.
Another great video. It's hard to believe so much devastation still remains for these precious folks. My heart goes out to them. We forget how blessed we are until we see and hear just how other folks suffer. I am so glad these folks are so resilient. Keep the great work/videos coming.
So many of them have a long road ahead.
Appalachian strong🤎 My prayers go out to the people of this community! They will get through this.
There's a sign at the confluence of the big sandy and Ohio rivers. Called KEN OH VA. This is where the West began.
Are you from whitesburg
Thank you for your channel. This is one of the most interesting regions in the country but gets such little attention from those who don’t live there.
Very true! You're welcome too, appreciate you watching & sharing so others can get to enjoy also!!
Thanks for all you do to give us Great video with compassion.💒🇺🇸😇
Love the wooden poles with aerial cables , you don't see them anymore.
As someone who lives here man it’s crazy seeing houses up on hills getting carried like logs in the water, and houses falling like dominos
It's horrible 😞
One of the most pressing unanswerable questions is did it ever rain 10 inches in 8 hours pre industrialization? If so, what happened then? God Bless Breathitt County, God Bless Eastern Kentucky and God Bless you, Josh. Please don't stop making videos.
Indeed, much to wrestle with.
I suspect removing the tops of mountains may have had something to do with it.
Unregulated strip mining and clear cut logging. Nothing to hold the water back. It's quite simple. And quite sad.
The area has a long history of flooding but the strip mining certainly adds to the volume flowing down the mountains.
Great job Josh. Highlighting this story and asking the important question of what, is a good start at recovering from this tragic event..For me, growing up in Mcdowell County I witnesses flooding each spring and thought it was just how it was..Later on in life I now understand that King Coal had a hand in making the spring floods worse.
The worst event I remember was Buffalo Creek, an event that caused much turmoil in our home..As it was, my father, a conservation officer, got the call that night. He was one of the first ones to arrive in the dark. As he and others made their way upstream rescuing both the living and injured, it was the stories of the dead, some only infants that lingered. For those people it was much like being in a combat zone...in that case their was an answer to the what.
I can't imagine the trauma from Buffalo Creek 😔
This is so sad 😞 I hate it for them. Their strength, resilience, and sense of community is incredible though.
I was born in letcher County hate to see this been gone for50 years still have family there got to go back
Beautiful Country, my heart hurts for these folks. Just a few hours away from north central West Virginia. You captured a lot of scenes so closely related to our Mountain State. May God Bless these people.
Great video but there's an error in a statement you made. The water level was not up to the roof of the Applashop building. In photos of the flooding you can clearly see a water line mark that's right above the doors. In your video you can also see it on the building still at around the 5:04 mark.
Appreciate you pointing that out 👍
Great video.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this video. It's heartbreaking that so many communities have suffered from flooding this year.
I love the music in your videos 👍🏼
Many of the big time rescue teams
Said this was worse than Katrina, the mud water rushes and sticks
Outstanding video
Thank you!
I love your videos! I’m from Georgia and I visit Eastern Kentucky about twice a month for work (headstone artist/etcher). I’ve made some life long friends since i 1st started traveling there in 2003. I work in Redfox, Whitesburg, Hazard, Prestonsburg, Pikeville, Martin, Salyersville, and Jackson. I love it there especially this time of year. If you don’t Ming me asking… what is the 1st song on this video.
Thanks so much for watching, I'll try looking back and finding that song for you👍
I'm from Hazard Kentucky...are u gonna be going there to make a video anytime soon? I grew up in the waters of buckhorn lake and would really love to see my old Kentucky home on the tube!!
I've already filmed there actually, hope to have that episode up this coming week or next! 😁
I went and looked at it.😭😢😥
👍😎
Anyone know how the flood affected the nursing home residents? I worked there for about a year nack in the early
2000's. I was feeling nostalgic and had know idea there was a flood when i searched "Whitesburg Ky." Its crazy how much water fell in so little time!
They had to evacuate the Nursing Home and they took them to the old Whitesburg High school. They’re back in the home now. .
I heard these people are still struggling with the aftermath and the red tape associated with getting financial relief to start over again. As usual, they’re the first to get screwed over and the last the get help.
♥
Odd to see a person driving through my town even though I do everyday
I would just like to state for the record that the Appal Heads do not represent the fine folks of Letcher Co. I remember when those hippies first came here. I see you came from Virginia so you probably don't understand.
Just because a person comes from a different place doesn't mean they can't understand...keep in mind, Southwest Virginia is just across the mountain from KY. But please, do elaborate. Thanks for watching!
They use to have some really good girls basketball teams there.
I have so appreciated Appalshop through the years and I did not know it had been lost! Devastating! I live near Welch WV and grew up here. I know first hand of what one hammering flood after another can do in these narrow valleys when there's no cleanup from the previous one. I've asked the question many times. What would have cost more? Dredging these creeks after each flood? Or allowing these communities to die because each flood is more devastating, and continues to be so, because nothing was done? I know the answer. I guess the powers that be just don't care.
😔
The “what” question is applicable nationwide and, indeed, globally; but as one digs deeper into it, I believe you’ll discover a collection of privileged “whos” as the primary causal factor in the vast majority of humanity’s miseries. As far as beings held accountable, I’m still waiting…
I agree 110% it always comes down to the leaders. Though out history, they take advantage, and then they fall.
unfortunately this is Earth Science....mountains are worn down, and valley's ( Hollers ) are filled in, the Earth cares little if Man is in the way...
It's a shame, all the billions of dollars in wealth taken away from these areas only to be left with this.
😔
The river channel is nothing more than a canal the way it has been dredged there is zero flood plain.
And yet too this day strip mining is still going on
SO THIS IS THE TRUE
Mountain living year in year out. Why! You ask as no $ put into cleaning up what they created ( the big companies that just take what they want, leave it literally dying a slow death. And the people who call it home.
Question- you said you're from the UK earlier, right? How would you know that 'this' is what 'mountain living' is like here in Appalachia year in and year out? Unless of course you've spent extended time here, and observed this is some particular area. However, as someone from here I think to make the statement "this is true mountain living year round" is actually quite an exaggeration and misunderstanding based on stereotypes popularized by media & yellow journalism, not reality.
Thanks again for watching!
My Grandfather Jesse Marshall Caudill was born here and Harry is his cousin
Roots run deep tough very tough good people