Connect Neon

In Eastern Kentucky, life in the hollers between the winding mountain roads and wild Appalachian trail is simple. These facts can be found true in just about any town tucked away out there: you come from coal miners, you know every soul that calls your town “home,” and down there between the mountains, it floods.
Neon, Kentucky is still recovering from the 2022 flash floods; floods that locals said “seemed to never stop.” A record 21 feet of water and landslides came down from the mountains and filled up the small towns below, resulting in helicopter rescues and leaving behind a foot of mud.
Years later, a walk down Main Street still shows the path of destruction and the livelihoods it took in its wake. Caution tape flaps in the wind outside abandoned storefronts, a single street light blinks above the local library; a total loss after the mud rushed in.
Around the corner, and one street over sits the high school, where hope and productivity is stirring among teenagers who would like to believe it doesn’t matter where you live, as long as you have the internet…almost anything is possible.
Sitting with the younger generation in their classroom, they talk about the best trails for four wheeling the Appalachian trail and in the same breath will discuss coding, and their dreams of designing video games.
It’s refreshing to see how resilient they are. After all, everyone that sits in this classroom has a flood survivor story. In fact, behind them, against the back wall of the classroom is a wall full of sticky notes - a way to help them work through what has happened to them and their loved ones. It’s labeled “What are the effects of flooding?” Underneath, a neon yellow sticky note reads “PTSD.”
After naming these feelings, another way the students in this classroom are working through disaster recovery is preparedness. Through ITDRC, students have developed a space for technical studies called “Connect Neon.” Together they have 3D printed designs for flood barriers, life rafts, and zipties.
Beyond 3D printing, these technical classes will also offer students a chance to code, learn to fly drones, and develop websites. ITDRC has been fortunate to support recovery in Letcher County far beyond the immediate relief operations - which will ultimately propel the next generation into the future. Ensuring not only that the city of Neon has a chance to build back, but that those growing up inside the hollers have the same opportunities as the youth in metropolitan areas.
#commisaid #disaster #appalachiantrail #floods