It was bitterly cold on Saturday morning in Hazard, Kentucky, one week since soaking rains flooded the state and, in particular, rural mountain towns wedged between Appalachian hillsides.
After the rains, came the snow. By the weekend, the roads were mostly clear of water and ice, and volunteers got to work.
A few dozen people, mostly locals, assembled in an empty shop next to a popular bingo hall. Perry County trail builder Ben Braman briefed the motley crew of samaritans.
“All the water came in, all that water left. In some places it left anywhere from two inches to six inches to 12 inches of mud. So we just need to get it out,” Braman explained. “With it being this cold right now, I don’t even know if we can use water.”
Braman told the volunteers to sort the trash as best they could. Appliances and electronics go in one pile, construction debris in another, and water-logged household items in garbage bags in another.
A lot of work lies ahead for waterlogged eastern Kentuckians cleaning up after yet another disaster. This was the first of many volunteer drives they’ll need just to get homes and businesses cleaned.
“This is our first one this weekend,” Braman said. “We’ve learned that during these catastrophes, you hit while the iron is hot, and if people want to come in we’ll take as many as we can.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear delivered a request for President Donald Trump to turn on disaster aid programs even while some areas were still underwater, days after the rain stopped.
Trump approved the disaster declaration on Monday meaning households can now apply for nearly $44,000 of aid to repair homes and more than $700 to buy food and supplies.
On Tuesday, four Republican state Senators heaped praise on the president.
“We appreciate President Trump’s approval of federal disaster aid for the impacted counties in our region,” they wrote in a statement.
The senators also noted that, while federal aid is available, it’s not always easy to access. It can involve mountains of paperwork, contractor estimates and appealed decisions. Kentucky Public Radio found that in the last flood, FEMA didn’t notify survivors of deadlines they needed to adhere to for aid. The agency vowed to improve their application process after that disaster response.
“We must note that Kentuckians have repeatedly seen how FEMA’s bureaucracy slows recovery and adds unnecessary frustration for those already in crisis,” their statement continued. “After past disasters, survivors struggled with confusing paperwork, delayed assistance, and out-of-state officials who didn’t understand our communities and Appalachia. That simply can’t happen again.”
'We need all the help we can get.'
After a quick donut and some hugs, volunteers spread out across Perry County.
One group goes to a home in a neighborhood called Airport Gardens. It had water up to the light switches and needed to be gutted down to the studs. The owner said she wasn’t ready to talk because she couldn’t do it without crying.
Local high school football coach Josh Holland had been working on the home for days now.
“It was terrible. I mean everything in here was like floating. It was wild,” Holland told one of the fresh volunteers. “You can see all her life’s belongings out there. She’s a widow so there’s pictures of her husband and her family. It was heartbreaking.”
Chandler Wilcox grabbed a hammer to tear out fiberglass insulation. Around him, people wrenched loose soggy drywall panels. Wilcox moved to Hazard right before the floods in 2022. Everyone here is still traumatized, he said.
“It’s just scary,” he said. “Kind of brings back – It is sort of like PTSD. It is, after seeing that.”
Wilcox noticed that locals were more prepared this time around, not just for the weather itself, but to mobilize and help their neighbors once the flood waters receded. He says they’ll need all sorts of help to recover again, from locals, out-of-state volunteers and the federal government’s disaster programs.
“Feels like we were making good progress after the last one. Then this happens. And it’s just like, man mother nature gotta give us a break here,” Wilcox said. “We need all the help we can get.”
Until now, most of the outside help came from churches. Christian groups like Eight Days of Hope, Masters of Disaster, and Saint Zita Disaster Relief and Recovery were helping in places without a federal official in sight.
In the hard-hit community of Chavies, Michele Bowcock stopped her trailer in front of a church to pass out donations. A small crowd gathered to grab supplies and bring them to neighbors in hollers.
She delivered baby onesies, bleach, knit hats and giant cans of green beans. It all came from church connections, bowling leagues, even campground friends from the Cincinnati area.
“We put it out on Facebook on Monday,” Bowcock said from the inside of a small modified horse trailer. “We had this trailer full and two trucks full.”
Bowcock came with donations after the 2022 floods and stayed in close connection ever since. She said she was devastated by the amount of need she saw then, and it hurts to see it happen yet again.
“You can’t expect people to live like that – and they’re not going to if I’m around,” Bowcock said. “That’s why we’re here. And they’re such wonderful people.”
People in 10 eastern Kentucky counties can now apply to FEMA for $43,600 in grants to help rebuild. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has said more counties may get approved for that individual assistance program in the future.
