A new rebuilding project site in Letcher County, Ky., has been announced by Brethren Disaster Ministries staff. The project will do rebuilding and repair of homes following flooding that affected the area in the summer of 2022.
During the week of July 25, 2022, a single storm system moved across multiple states causing flash flooding from Missouri to parts of Virginia and West Virginia. The flooding resulted in damaged homes and buildings, loss of life, and whole towns left underwater, especially in the greater St. Louis area and a large area of southeastern Kentucky.
In Kentucky, overwhelming amounts of rain and resulting flooding led to 44 deaths and widespread catastrophic damage. Entire homes and parts of some communities were swept away by flood waters. More than 600 helicopter rescues and countless water rescues by boat were needed to evacuate people who were trapped by the flood waters.
In the 13 counties that received a federal disaster declaration, more than 13,000 families applied for individual assistance from FEMA. Letcher County was one of the four counties hit hardest by the flooding. Census data from 2022 shows that more than 22 percent of the population lives in poverty, and affordable housing was already an issue prior to the flooding.
A Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding site is scheduled to open the week of Sept. 8 to work with an affordable housing nonprofit in southeastern Kentucky. Brethren Disaster Ministries will serve qualified families identified by HOMES, Inc. in Letcher County to build new homes and make repairs.
HOMES, Inc. has the mission to provide affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families in Letcher County and surrounding counties. These affordable housing solutions include energy efficient homebuyer opportunities, quality home repairs, and rental opportunities. The organization has been providing these services to the community since 1984, but the need and the amount of work the group does have been compounded by the 2022 flooding.
For more information about this project and how to volunteer, go to www.brethren.org/bdm/rebuild/letcher-county-ky-july-2022-flooding-recovery.
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