IRVINE, Ky. — Eastern Kentucky families affected by historic flooding in February are still picking up the pieces.
What You Need To Know
- Families still rebuilding after historic Eastern Kentucky flooding
- The Kentucky River topped decades-old flood records
- Federal Disaster Relief Declaration signed by President Joe Biden in April
- Church groups volunteer to rebuild homes
Estill County is one of the two dozen counties included on the Federal Disaster Declaration signed April 23, but some families say they haven't been approved for relief, or their applications have yet to be considered. In the meantime, several churches in the area have been helping families get by since the water receded more than two months ago.
“There was an expectation that FEMA would be here earlier, but there was a real lag in the declaration, so it has only been in the last couple of weeks that FEMA has come in," Aaron Batey, a member of Irvine United Methodist Church and a volunteer helping repair homes, told Spectrum News 1. Batey has been hanging drywall in a home hit by several feet of floodwater.
Batey said the homeowners are staying with family members, and it's the same for others affected by flooding. Batey said the Red Cross had a quick response helping some residents stay in hotel rooms until more long-term housing was found.
Flooding was so dramatic that homes south of Irvine weren't touched by the Kentucky River but much smaller creeks that were swollen from rains and melting snow.
“It was the backwater that backed up into it," Batey explained while touring an affected home.
More than two months later and there's still much work to be done.
“There are some people who actually waited to 'muck out.' They were waiting on FEMA, so they have a much bigger problem now," Batey said.
Thankfully, with the help of neighbors, people are getting by.
“It’s something that affected a lot of people down here, and they are still trying to do rebuilding," he added.
Federal disaster assistance info is available online.