MILLSTONE, Ky. — Last August, Buddy Young was working to clear out everything ruined by the floodwater that filled his Millstone home.

What You Need To Know

  • Nearly one year after flooding caused major damage to his Millstone home, Buddy Young continues to rebuild

  • Young had five feet of water inside his home last July

  • The Letcher County community was hit hard by flooding

  • Young has lived in Millstone for 38 years 

He had lived in the Letcher County community almost 40 years and had no intention of moving somewhere else.

“You just pick up and take off and just try to have a good attitude,” he told Spectrum News 1 at the time.

Young has been in recovery mode ever since the water receded.

“It’s been a year and it don’t seem like it’s been a year, but it’s coming up on a year, but we’re good,” he told Spectrum News 1 last week. “Can’t complain.”

Young received help from FEMA and worked mostly on his own to rebuild after volunteers helped clean out the home, he said.

There’s a fresh coat of paint on the new walls, new windows and a new deck on the side of the house.

“Tore everything out, just started from the ground up,” he said.   

One year later, there are reminders of how the flood changed the landscape of Young’s neighborhood.

He pointed down the street to places where houses used to be.

“It’ll take years for the whole neighborhood to get out of it,” he said. “I’m in a lot better place than what I was a few months ago, and it’s come along pretty good.”

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