"It's another good day," said Scott McReynolds with the Housing Development Alliance, marking both a solemn anniversary in a hard-hit community and another glimpse of the hope kindled in its aftermath.
Four years after the destructive floods that tore through low-lying communities, the most visible signs of that hope are the new affordable housing projects championed by Gov. Andy Beshear.
This week, the governor returned to Hazard for yet another groundbreaking. He said all it took was one look at the scale of the floods to know a standard rebuilding effort wasn't enough.
"We knew we had to do something different," he said. "So a dream and an idea that started on a napkin is now what we see around us. I believe that this is the most significant, ambitious rebuild in our country's history."
And Beshear announced an additional investment during his trip, that will help fund 25 more homes.
"This week, I signed an executive order to invest an additional $2.5 in affordable housing in Eastern Kentucky," he said.
Close to 500 homes are being built in 8 planned communities in the region.