Kentucky winter flooding survivors still recovering from February disaster

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Kentucky’s deadliest winter flooding in years claimed 25 lives in February, and survivors are still picking up the pieces from the devastating event that brought record-breaking water levels to eastern Kentucky communities.

Owsley County suffered devastating damage when the South Fork of the Kentucky River reached major flood stage in Booneville, rising to just a few inches below the record.

“I have lived here for my whole adult life and I have never seen water that rose the amount that it did back in February,” said Neika Frye, a Booneville resident who documented the flooding through drone photography.

Communities held their breath as waters rose

As the river continued to rise, residents faced uncertainty about whether conditions would worsen.

“Everyone was just kind of holding our breath, you know me included – we were like, is it going to get worse or is it finally going to crest and finally start to recede,” Frye said.

Frye considers photography a hobby, but as the river rose into her town, she felt documenting the disaster was necessary to share what was happening in eastern Kentucky with the world.

“You can drive by and you can see the flood but once you put a drone in the air, that’s when you are like wow you know – its unbelievable,” Frye said.

Widespread damage across the region

The flooding closed over 300 roads and left 40,000 homes without power. Governor Andy Beshear said witnessing the devastation firsthand was difficult.

“After the February flooding being in Coal Run – the lady who ran the beauty salon had worked to build that up for 20 + years and it was just destroyed,” Beshear said.

Even after waters stopped rising, first responders faced additional challenges as snow showers and bitter cold pushed into the state.

“We live in the mountains, and those people can generally not get out if its a lot of snow just because of the mountain terrain – and they you start adding flooding immediately on top of that – i mean some of these people, their only access point is maybe a road away from their house and that’s the road that got flooded,” Frye said.

State prepares for winter weather season

As Kentucky residents brace for the approaching winter weather season, Beshear said the state is ready and prepared to keep communities safe in the event of more severe winter weather.

“Kentuckians are tough, but eastern Kentuckians are especially tough,” Beshear said.

“We cannot simply clam up and not listen to the important weather information that you and other meteorologists and the national weather service are providing – Every single one of them we have to take seriously because far too many of them have turned far too serious,” Beshear said.