The floods were strong, but the people are stronger

Former Corbin City Commissioner Andrew Pennington has helped with the recent flood relief efforts, using a large military truck to deliver supplies.

Before I came back to the News Journal full time about two months ago, I was working a sales job that required me spend a good amount of time in several different areas of eastern Kentucky, including many of the communities that were hit hardest by last week’s historic flooding.

Although most of my travels were to Clay, Leslie, and Perry counties, I also had the opportunity to meet and work with folks in Knott County as well. I made a trip to visit a client in Jackson over in Breathitt County once, and on one occasion I made the long trek through Floyd County and into Johnson County.

To see the devastation that has taken place in these counties because of the recent floods is heartbreaking for anyone, but it certainly adds a level of surrealism if you have actually driven through the towns and had the chance to visit many of the schools and businesses.

Of all the terrible images that I have seen on the news and on social media since late last week, the one that hit me the hardest may have been that of Buckhorn School during peak flood stage. The entire building was nearly submerged, which is hard to believe, as I was just in that community this past spring. I drove right past the school on my way to visit Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, I stopped at a nearby gas station to fill up, and I talked to several folks while I was over there. I can only hope that they are all okay now.

The Bluegrass State has seen its fair share of tragedy in recent months, with tornadoes destroying homes and lives out west last December, and now this major flood event doing the same in the east. If there is a silver lining, however, it has been watching how Kentuckians have come together to help those who are in need.

We saw it late last year with the tornadoes, and we are seeing it now in the aftermath of the floods. Everywhere you look, individuals and organizations are asking for donations of food, clothing, supplies and/or money that will be going to support the relief efforts in the east. In fact, it has been too much to keep up with. For that reason, I posted on the News Journal Facebook account over the weekend urging people to leave comments with info about the various supply drives taking places in the Corbin/Williamsburg area. The response was immediate.

We received information about benefit drives being put on by local schools, churches, businesses, civic groups and emergency management agencies. The Corbin Arena is giving away tickets to some upcoming shows in exchange for certain donations. Whitley EMS has issued a challenge to see how many trucks they can fill with supplies. Former Corbin City Commissioner Andrew Pennington has a large army truck parked outside of City Hall, where he is accepting drop-offs of bottled water, cleaning supplies, filled propane tanks, etc.

The list goes on-and-on.

To all of those who have stepped up to help in recent days, I commend you. That means organizing drives like the ones previously mentioned, traveling to the affected areas to assist with rescue efforts, donating supplies, giving monetarily or holding prayer vigils. All of it helps, and I’m sure that the people in those communities out east appreciate the outpouring of support.

No doubt, the road to recovery will be a very long and difficult one for places like Hindman, Whitesburg, Hazard, Jackson and so many others. Repairing infrastructure and mourning the loss of life will be an arduous process, but if the last week has shown us anything, it is that those who are suffering will not have to do so alone.

We here at the News Journal would like to join everyone else across the region, the state, and even the nation as we keep our fellow Kentuckians in our thoughts and prayers in this most difficult time.