Neighbors come together for cleanup efforts in Ky. county hit by flash flooding

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Families are left to pick up the pieces of what’s left of their homes and begin to rebuild.

It’s a community effort to get back to normal—a process that will take weeks. Neighbors are helping those in need, while also in need themselves.

The devastation goes on for miles. Homes pushed off their foundations, and lives turned upside down.

• Reports of looting after flooding devastates parts of Nicholas County
• Kentucky woman’s body found floating hundreds of feet from home after flooding

“When I drove in I actually shed a few tears seeing people just bring all their belongings and all their things put onto the curb,” said Lindsay Haynes with the Nicholas County Extension Office.

As families worked Friday to salvage what they could and remove what they couldn’t, strangers were getting to work to help where they were needed.

“Nicholas County is a small place with a big heart. Not at all does it surprise me that all this is here but how quickly it came and how fast the word spread was definitely impressive,” Haynes said.

The Nicolas County Extension Office is filled with supplies. Some people came to help when they needed it themselves.

“There’s been one guy that said ‘it only got four inches in my house. I don’t need any of this. What can I do?’ The stories are unbelievable,” volunteer Michelle Applegate said.

The Bourbon County football team brought a busload of supplies, going door to door offering relief and comfort.

“Just coming from West Virginia and a big flood area, it just brought back so many memories and back home what we do when someone needs help, we help,” Bourbon County head football coach David Jones said.

It’s hard to wrap your head around the devastation, and the fact that many of these families have nothing now.

“This one lady told me, ‘How do you tell a seven-year-old you don’t have anything else? You don’t have anything left.’ That hit home to me,” Jones said.

But Nicholas County will bounce back. thanks to the kindness from strangers and neighbors helping neighbors.

“When one hurts, we all hurt,” Jones said.

The work to help doesn’t end Friday. Fundraisers and donations are still being collected. Check out this list for more information:

Copyright 2021 WKYT. All rights reserved.