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2022 Appalachian floods

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2022 Appalachian floods
Radar estimated rainfall in Eastern Kentucky and surrounding areas from July 25 to 30, highlighting the counties that received the most rain.
DateJuly 26 – August 1
LocationCentral Appalachia (Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia, Southwest West Virginia)
Deaths39 direct deaths (+6 indirect)[1] [2]
Property damage$450 million – $950 million (2023 USD) [3]

Between July 26 and August 1, 2022, widespread and catastrophic flooding swept through portions of eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, and southern West Virginia. 45 people died from the floods. Entire homes and parts of some communities were swept away by flood waters, leading to costly damage to infrastructure in the region. Over 600 helicopter rescues and countless swift water rescues by boat were needed to evacuate people who were trapped by the quickly rising flood waters. The flood event is said to be the deadliest natural disaster to hit eastern Kentucky in more than 80 years. [4] [5]

Meteorological history

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Strong low-level winds brought in copious amounts of low-level moisture, which interacted with a stationary front located near the Kentucky-Tennessee border and the upper-level jet stream to produce prolonged And repeated thunderstorms along and north of the front. These thunderstorms tracked over the same areas for several days in a row. These thunderstorms caused an intense swath of heavy rainfall with some areas reporting rainfall totals of 10 inches (25 cm) or greater in parts of eastern Kentucky. [6]

Flood event

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July 26

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The flood event first began in southwestern West Virginia on July 26. In Mingo County, the Gilbert Creek area along the Kentucky/Virginia/West Virginia border had several homes impacted and several bridges washed out, limiting access to some areas.[7][8] More flooding occurred in nearby McDowell County as well, in addition to other areas. This, combined with additional rainfall and flooding on July 28, led to a state of emergency being declared by Governor Jim Justice for six counties: Mingo, McDowell, Fayette, Greenbrier, Logan, and Wyoming.[9] Partly as a result of the flooding, Huntington, West Virginia recorded their wettest July on record with 9.41 in (23.9 cm) of rain.[10]

July 28–29

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Governor of Kentucky Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency on July 28.[11][12][13] after what was described as a thousand-year flooding event.[14] The Kentucky Court of Justice closed the judicial centers in Floyd, Letcher, Magoffin, and Perry counties due to the extreme flooding.[15] The storms dumped up to 10.4 inches (264.2 mm) of rain on parts of the state.[16] Kentucky cities severely affected by the floods include Hazard, Jackson, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, Martin, Pikeville, Hindman, Whitesburg, Fleming-Neon, and Jenkins.

Many roads were shut down in these areas including Main Street in Hazard, Mayo Trail in Pikeville, KY 317 in Fleming-Neon, Lakeside Drive and Main Street in Jenkins, South Fork Road, South Mountain Road, Bold Camp Road, and Main Street in Pound, Virginia, and portions of US 23 in Wise, Virginia. Evacuations were ordered in the downtown areas of cities that were severely flooded including Hazard, Fleming-Neon, Jenkins, Martin, Pound, and Clintwood, Virginia.[17] The North Fork of the Kentucky River set record high crests in Whitesburg and Jackson,[14] and over 33,000 customers lost electricity.[18]

In Hindman in Knott County, nearly all buildings in the downtown area sustained some level of flood damage from Troublesome Creek, which passes through the area. The Appalachian Artisan Center sustained extensive damage to the museum and several studios, a new swimming pool and skatepark in town were severely damaged, and many homes and businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed.[19] Nearby, Hindman Settlement School and Appalachian School of Luthiery were both flooded with several feet of water and heavily damaged, along with the Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company.[20] Upstream from Hindman, Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes sustained major damage due to Troublesome Creek, along with the surrounding community.[21] Just northwest of Hindman, in a particularly tragic incident, four children were killed when they were swept out of their mother's arms along Montgomery Creek. Both parents survived despite being stranded in a tree for eight hours.[22]

Poor Fork Cumberland River in southern Letcher County during flooding.

In Letcher County, Whitesburg, and surrounding communities were severely impacted by the North Fork River and Rockhouse Creek. Many businesses were destroyed in Whitesburg, including a used car dealership that had been in business for four decades.[23] At Appalshop, which housed a vast media collection of Appalachian history, some of the media vault's contents were swept away and scattered about, including film of oral history, musical performances, and photo collections.[20] The North Fork rose about 18 feet (5.5 m) in 10 hours[14] to set a record crest in Whitesburg of approximately 20 feet (6.1 m), beating the previous 1957 record by over 5 feet (1.5 m), before the gauge was apparently destroyed in the flood. In southern Knott County, Carr Creek Lake rose over 15 feet (4.6 m) in 12 hours along the Carr Fork River, a tributary of the North Fork.[24]

USGS river gauge for the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Whitesburg, showing water levels of almost 20 ft (6.1 m), exceeding the previous record level by over 5 ft (1.5 m).

Buckhorn in Perry County was inundated by Squabble Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River, with numerous homes and Buckhorn School being completely flooded. The pavement was pulled up from the parking lot, and classrooms within the school building were destroyed ahead of the school's scheduled start date of August 11.[25][26] Robinson Elementary in the Ary community of northern Perry County sustained exterior wall and roof collapse along Troublesome Creek, downstream of Hindman and Knott County.[27] Further along the creek in Breathitt County, the community of Lost Creek was also inundated, with roads covered and homes swept off their foundations.[28][29]

The Oneida community in Clay County was cut off by downed power lines and washed-out roads and bridges, with floodwater impacting many homes that had previously been flooded by an event in March 2020.[30]

Parts of Floyd and Johnson counties were impacted by severe thunderstorms and flooding first on July 26, affecting homes and roads.[31] More severe flooding occurred on July 28, with the towns of Martin, Wayland, and Garrett in Floyd County being among those impacted. Numerous water rescues were conducted, with people being taken to the Wayland Fire Department, among other places. KY 7, KY 122, and KY 550 in Floyd County were shut down due to floodwaters.[30]

Pike County in far eastern Kentucky also sustained flooding, with multiple roads being blocked by downed trees and power lines as well. In the Virgie area, south of Pikeville, Shelby Creek overran its banks and inundated several homes, leading to the closure of KY 610 in the area.[30]

An airlift during the flood in Kentucky.

Late on July 28 and into July 29, part of the city of Jackson was evacuated and KY 15 was closed after officials became concerned that water from the North Fork River would top Panbowl Dam along KY 15 and potentially flood approximately 110 homes, 13 businesses, and other structures around Panbowl Lake, although the river began receding before the dam was overtopped.[32] The North Fork River set a record crest in Jackson of 43.47 feet (13.25 m), besting the previous record of 43.1 feet (13.1 m) from February 4, 1939,[24] while meteorologists at the National Weather Service forecast office in Jackson became trapped at the office due to nearby high water.[28]

The fatality count from the event in Kentucky reached 38, with 17 deaths occurring in Knott County, nine in Breathitt County, seven in Perry County, three in Letcher County, and two in Clay County. A 39th fatality occurred in the days following the event due to an illness contracted during cleanup efforts.[33] A 40th fatality occurred in September during cleanup efforts in Pike County.[34]

University professors and data analysts described the extreme flooding as made more likely by climate change in the United States.[35][36][37][38] Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli of WFLA in Tampa, Florida commented that the flooding in Kentucky was "simply in its own universe", and that an event that would happen on average one in a thousand years before global warming made its likelihood greater.[39][40][41][36] The government's Fourth National Climate Assessment says that the heaviest precipitation events have intensified.[37]

Criticism was lobbed at local mining companies for failing to return the land to its natural state after decades of mining caused the loss of the natural ridge lines and vegetation.[42]

The rainfall observed over the region during July 25–30 was over 600 percent of normal totals. The four-day rainfall totals of 14–16 inches (360–410 mm) in some areas were reported to have a less than a 0.1 percent chance of occurring in any given year.[43]

July 31 – August 1

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More rainfall over waterlogged areas led to more flooding on August 1 in Knott and Letcher counties. Downtown areas of Hindman and Fleming-Neon were again inundated by floodwaters in the early hours of August 1.[44] KY 550 was again flooded in Knott County, affecting the communities of Mousie and Fisty, along with Hindman.[45] Flooding was also reported in other areas such as Floyd County, Pike County, and Harlan County.[46] Roads in Floyd County were flooded or blocked by downed trees and power lines.[47][48]

As a result of flooding on July 28 and again on August 1, Fleming-Neon was left with its city hall, bank, pharmacy, and post office flooded, with more than a foot of mud covering the inside of the city hall building.[49]

Aftermath

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On July 28, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear commented, "We are currently experiencing one of the worst, most devastating flooding events in Kentucky's history."[50] On July 29, President Joe Biden declared that a major disaster existed in Kentucky and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.[51] Search and rescue efforts continued for days following the floods. [52]

A shelter was opened on July 28 at the Breathitt County Courthouse in Jackson for displaced residents, as well as other shelters in schools and churches around Perry County and Hazard and the Floyd County Community Center near the town of Martin.[30] Wolfe County, north of Jackson, opened three school buildings as shelters as well.[28] About 150 residents were housed at nearby state parks, while at least another 150 went to American Red Cross shelters. Curfews were established in areas such as Hindman and Breathitt County after reports of looting.[53]

Some residents in Kentucky were stuck in their homes, unable to leave because of washed-out roads and bridges, leading to over 420 people being rescued by helicopter or boat.[53] By August 2, more than 5,600 customers in eastern Kentucky were still without power and more than 18,000 service connections were without water. An additional 45,600 customers were under a boil water advisory, according to Governor Beshear. Numerous people remained stranded in rural areas as a result of roads being washed away, with the only access in some instances being by ATV. The infrastructure problems caused difficulty in pinpointing the number of missing people in the days after the event.[49]

The office manager of Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company in Hindman set up a GoFundMe account for donations to help with flood relief, while Appalshop and Hindman Settlement School received help to keep valuable media archives refrigerated to prevent ruin. Some archives were transported to a freezer at East Tennessee State University in the days after the event.[20]

School systems in Perry, Breathitt, and Floyd counties delayed the start of the school year due to recovery efforts. Several classrooms in Breathitt County were destroyed, along with the district's maintenance building and the bus garage.[27] Several other counties in the area had modified starts to the school year as well.[49]

The University of Kentucky men's basketball team announced plans to play two games against Gonzaga, in 2022 and 2023, to raise money for Kentucky flood relief.[54]

As of August 2024, flood recovery efforts were still ongoing in some areas.[55]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Remembering the July 2022 flood, two years later". 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Historic July 26th-July 30th, 2022 Eastern Kentucky Flooding".
  3. ^ "Housing Damage from the 2022 Kentucky Flood". 20 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Remembering the July 2022 flood, two years later". 28 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Historic July 26th-July 30th, 2022 Eastern Kentucky Flooding".Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ "Historic July 26th-July 30th, 2022 Eastern Kentucky Flooding". Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ Taylor, Isaac; Walters, Nicky (July 26, 2022). "Mingo County flooding causes many to lose possessions". WOWK-TV. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Saunders, Anna (July 27, 2022). "Mingo residents begin flood cleanup process while bracing for more heavy rainfall". WCHS-TV. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via MSN.
  9. ^ Jordan, Greg (July 29, 2022). "Justice declares a state of emergency for McDowell County due to flood damage". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via Yahoo News.
  10. ^ Sistek, Scott (August 2, 2022). "Toasted nation: Houston, Tampa, Salt Lake City among 28 cities with hottest July on record". Fox Weather. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Alsharif, Mirna; Prociv, Kathryn; Cradduck, Josh (July 28, 2022). "'Double-digit deaths' expected in Kentucky floods that have already killed 3, governor says". NBC News. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  12. ^ Childress, Rick; Livingston, Ian; Beachum, Lateshia; Samenow, Jason (July 28, 2022). "Massive flooding in eastern Kentucky engulfs homes, leaves several dead". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  13. ^ "One person confirmed dead in devastating eastern Ky. flooding". WKYT-TV. July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022 – via WBKO.
  14. ^ a b c Erdman, Johnathon (July 29, 2022). "The Most Staggering Facts About The Major Kentucky Flooding". Weather Underground. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  15. ^ Kentucky Courts [@kentuckycourts] (July 28, 2022). "Due to extreme flooding in Eastern Kentucky, judicial centers in Floyd, Letcher, Magoffin & Perry counties are closed today and until further notice. Our thoughts are with those affected by this disaster" (Tweet). Retrieved July 28, 2022 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ Finch, Allison (July 28, 2022). "Death toll rises following catastrophic Kentucky flooding]". AccuWeather. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  17. ^ Leach, Christopher (July 29, 2022). "Updates on E. Ky. floods: Death toll rises again, includes several children". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via AOL.
  18. ^ "Kentucky: At least 25 dead in worst Appalachia floods for years". BBC News. July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  19. ^ Hall, Keaton; Sirles, Ethan (July 31, 2022). "Extensive damage throughout the city of Hindman following flooding". WSAZ-TV. Hindman, Ky. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via MSN.
  20. ^ a b c Estep, Bill; Horn, Austin (August 1, 2022). "'We could lose history.' Appalachian archives soaked in record Kentucky flooding". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  21. ^ @AliceLloydEagle (July 28, 2022). "Please pray for our campus and local community! We were devastated by flash flooding last night and campus has been hit hard" (Tweet). Retrieved July 31, 2022 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ Spears, Valerie Honeycutt (July 28, 2022). "Four young siblings were swept from parents' grip, among victims of Ky. flooding, relative says". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  23. ^ Wilcox, Chandler (July 30, 2022). "Four decade old family-owned business destroyed by flooding in Letcher County". WYMT-TV. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Jones, Judson (July 29, 2022). "Track the flooding in Kentucky as more rain is expected in the area". CNN. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via MSN.
  25. ^ Pendleton, Phil (July 28, 2022). "'Heartbreaking:' Buckhorn School in Perry Co. severely damaged by flash flooding". WKYT-TV. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via MSN.
  26. ^ "Storm damage to Buckhorn School may delay opening". WLWT. July 30, 2022. Archived from the original on August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via MSN.
  27. ^ a b Cheves, John (July 28, 2022). "Buildings collapsed, staff homeless. Some Eastern KY school districts must delay start date". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  28. ^ a b c Johnson, Stu (August 1, 2022). "Eastern Kentucky flood victims given shelter in three Wolfe County schools". WEKU. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  29. ^ Searcy, Leigh (August 1, 2022). "Search for the missing continues along Troublesome Creek". WLEX-TV. Lost Creek, Ky. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  30. ^ a b c d "WKYT team coverage of the devastating eastern Ky. flooding". WKYT. July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  31. ^ Sirles, Ethan (July 26, 2022). "Parts of Eastern Kentucky drying out after a day of flooding, severe weather". WKYT-TV. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  32. ^ Jenkins, Nefertiti; Bivens, Erica (July 29, 2022). "UPDATE: Residents around Panbowl Dam in Jackson evacuated". WTVQ-DT. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  33. ^ Bullington, Jonathan; Kobin, Billy; McCrary, Eleanor (August 3, 2022). "Eastern Kentucky flooding: As the death toll reaches 37 victims, here are the names we know". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  34. ^ "Death toll from Kentucky flood reaches 40, latest victim died during cleanup effort". Fox News. September 14, 2022.
  35. ^ Knowles, David. "Deadly Kentucky flooding highlights how U.S. infrastructure may be no match for climate change". Yahoo News. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  36. ^ a b Weisbrod, Katelyn (July 29, 2022). "With Epic Flooding in Eastern Kentucky, the State's Governor Wants to Know 'Why We Keep Getting Hit'". Inside Climate News. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  37. ^ a b Feuerstein, Jacob. "How two 1-in-1,000 year rain events hit the U.S. in two days". Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  38. ^ Brady, Jen. "As flash flood risks rise, protecting Americans in a warming climate only gets harder". The Hill. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  39. ^ Berardelli, Jeff (July 29, 2022). "The science behind 2 historic floods in 2 days". WFLA-TV. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  40. ^ Giffin, Connor. "'Warmer and wetter': US' changing climate helps fuel record Kentucky flooding, experts say". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  41. ^ Yang, Maya (July 31, 2022). "Kentucky grapples with effect of climate crisis as floods leave trail of devastation". The Guardian. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  42. ^ "Abandoned mines and poor oversight worsened Kentucky flooding, attorneys say". NBC News. August 6, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  43. ^ "Historic July 26th-July 30th, 2022 Eastern Kentucky Flooding".
  44. ^ @GaudetWeather (August 1, 2022). "Heavy rain moved through southeast Kentucky once again overnight..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 1, 2022 – via Twitter.
  45. ^ @KYTCDistrict12 (August 1, 2022). "Unfortunately, after having all our state routes passable last night..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 1, 2022 – via Twitter.
  46. ^ "More rain headed to storm-battered Kentucky, death toll rises to 30". WZTV. The Associated Press. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  47. ^ @KYTCDistrict12 (August 1, 2022). "KY Rt 2759 in Knott County blocked..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 1, 2022 – via Twitter.
  48. ^ @KYTCDistrict12 (August 1, 2022). "KY 1427 in Floyd County has water over the road in several locations..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 1, 2022 – via Twitter.
  49. ^ a b c Hanna, Jason (August 2, 2022). "More help needed to reach those stranded by deadly Kentucky flooding – many requiring insulin or other care – resident says". CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2022 – via MSN.
  50. ^ Mickle, Jordan (July 28, 2022). "Gov. Beshear: 'Loss of life' expected after severe flooding in Kentucky, state of emergency declared". WLEX-TV. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  51. ^ "President Biden approves Kentucky disaster declaration following severe flooding". 29 July 2022.
  52. ^ "Family of missing Breathitt Co. Woman leaning on faith as search efforts continue". 10 August 2022.
  53. ^ a b Stanton, Cady; Brown, Jordan D.; Tebor, Celina (August 2, 2022). "Death toll climbs to 37 in Kentucky flooding; 'hundreds' remain unaccounted for; severe weather threats loom". USA Today. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via MSN.
  54. ^ Dawson, Brett (August 2, 2022). "At flood-relief fundraiser, Kentucky basketball announces series with Gonzaga". USA Today. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  55. ^ Forbes, Buddy (August 20, 2024). "Mission continues flood recovery efforts in Letcher Co". WYMT.

Sources

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2022 Appalachian floods.
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