ARY, Ky. — Time and time again we are seeing examples of how the faith community is helping Kentuckians rebuild after July‘s historic flash flooding.

What You Need To Know

  • Families in Eastern Kentucky continue to recover after historic flooding in late July.

  • 7 feet of water swamped Brian Miller’s home

  • Church groups and volunteers from near and far are helping Kentuckians recover

  • Miller is sad for families choosing not to stay

The mountains and valleys of eastern Kentucky offer postcard views and to live among them is a calling as strong as Brian Miller’s faith.

“God has given us a peace about it. That’s all I can say,” Miller told Spectrum News 1. It was Miller’s faith and even temper that carried his family through a perilous night. On July 27, Miller and his family were trapped in a small steep holler a few miles north of Hazard.

The fast moving water swallowed every home in the valley. “When you panic? I know I’m sounding crazy, but when you panic, it takes your thought process away, and it gets you in trouble sometimes,” Miller told us in August.

Before it was too late, Miller moved his family camper high enough up the hill to stay dry. Miller then helped lead his neighbors to safety. Everyone survived the night, but not everyone is staying to rebuild.

“It’s kind of disappointing because our neighbors over here, Gus and Stephanie, they’ve decided not to come back and then really the biggest disappointment out of all of it is they are tearing the school down and they are not going to rebuild the school here,” Miller said.

3 months after Kentucky’s deadliest flash flood, a church group from Ashland Kentucky is helping Miller rebuild his home, which was swamped by nearly seven feet of water.

“Most of us are all inclined. We’ve got a little bit of common sense and come up just to lend a hand because we didn’t lose a thing,” one volunteer told Spectrum News 1.

The floors in Miller’s home have been replaced and the drywall hung — jobs Miller would have struggled with on his own.

“I’m off work. I’m off work with my back hurt and there is not a lot that I can do and if it hadn’t been for these people coming in here and doing what they’ve done, there’s no way I would be where I’m at today,” Miller said. Pastor Brian Miller, as many of his neighbors know him, says staying is his calling.

It’s a testament of his faith and those who have come to help. “It’s just too good of neighbors and too good of a community to leave. Things is going to happen and you can’t allow it to overwhelm and overcome what you’ve built and who you are.”

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