Floods in Eastern Kentucky

Award winning reporter Karyn Czar has been to eastern Kentucky numerous times over the past month covering efforts to help residents recover from the devastating floods. Along the way she's met many good samaritans; including some on horseback. Here's her latest audio diary.

Kentucky lawmakers have taken up a state assistance package that would pump nearly $213 million into flood-ravaged Appalachian communities. It's seen as an initial installment to help in the mammoth rebuilding still ahead. Josh James has more on the story.

Nearly a month after torrential rainfall brought devastating floods to eastern Kentucky, many victims remain in shelters. Some people housed at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park vow to rebuild on land they still call home. Others plan to leave, and there are some who still haven't decided. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said 455 people were still being housed in Kentucky state parks, churches, schools and community centers late last week. Many are waiting on decisions from the federal government about what kind of help they might get before they know whether they can rebuild. The catastrophic flooding caused at least 39 deaths in eastern Kentucky.

Thousands of pairs of shoes and socks are being distributed to people affected by flooding in eastern Kentucky last month. As WUKY's Alro Barnette reports the Samaritan’s Feet organization partnered with the University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari, the Kentucky basketball team and state officials to give away bags containing shoes and socks Tuesday.

Gov. Andy Beshear says he’s calling Kentucky’s legislature into a special session to take up a relief package for flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky. Josh James has the story.

As people in eastern Kentucky try to piece back together their lives following deadly floods, many may ignore warning signs and symptoms of trauma and PTSD. This week Dr. Greg talks about the mental health component of disaster cleanup with UK HealthCare’s Gray Manis; licensed clinical social worker and assistant professor of psychiatry.

As the flood waters begin to recede, families, business owners and volunteer cleanup groups will begin to reenter the damaged buildings and start the long cleanup process. Unfortunately, many flood-related injuries and health issues, even death, can occur during the cleanup response. It is critical to remember that although the flood waters may recede, there are a number of hazards to be aware of. Dr. Greg gets health tips from Erin Haynes, Dr.P.H., chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health in the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to eastern Kentucky on Monday to survey the damage from last week’s devastating floods and meet with those affected.

A cultural center known for chronicling Appalachian life is cleaning up and assessing its losses. Like much of its stricken region, Appalshop has been swamped by historic flooding. The water inundated downtown Whitesburg in southeastern Kentucky, causing extensive damage to the renowned repository of Appalachian history and culture. Some losses are likely permanent, after raging waters soaked or swept away some of Appalshop’s treasure trove of historic material. Dr. Doug Boyd, director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History and colleagues from the UK Libraries traveled this week to Appalshop to help save as many irreplaceable materials as possible. In this special edition of WUKY’s award winning history program Saving Stories, Doug talks about the devastation he saw and highlights the special relationship the Nunn Center has with Appalshop.

WoodSongs is once again holding an instrument drive to replace those lost by musicians during the recent floods in eastern Kentucky.