Red Cross Provides Support to Residents Impacted by Flooding

“We stayed until it started coming through the floors.” 

It was early March, and Rebecca and her family were in their home in Estill County, KY when the rain started. What first seemed to be an unusually heavy rainstorm turned into something more worrisome as time went on and the rain showed no signs of slowing or stopping. It became a cause for alarm when Rebecca and her family noticed water starting to rise in the low area behind their home that evening. As the night went on and they saw the water was inching closer with no signs of stopping, they made the difficult decision to leave. 

Volunteers Sarah and Sadiq speak with Rebecca (right) while
assessing flood damage in her neighborhood

“When we saw that it was going to come in, we started grabbing medicine, dry clothes and shoes and helped our grandmother evacuate,” said Rebecca. 

Estill County was just one of several Kentucky counties impacted by flooding in early March. The floodwaters met or broke local historical records and reached areas that had not seen such severe flooding in decades, if at all. Early estimated numbers show over 900 homes across the state have been damaged or destroyed by flooding. 

“Nothing like this has ever happened here before,” said Rebecca. When Rebecca and her family were able to go back to their home, they discovered water had come up through their floor and had gotten into the insulation in their walls. “Mold is a concern. We might have to tear the subfloor out to make sure things get dry.” 

When Red Cross volunteers arrived to assess the flood damage in the area, Rebecca and her family were working on tearing out the insulation in their home. Many of their possessions were on their porch drying in the sun, but they had lost their sheets and blankets and will have to replace their carpeting and air conditioning unit. They were grateful to see the Red Cross in their neighborhood. 

 “We had heard of the Red Cross, but we had never had to use them before,” said Rebecca. “We’re glad to see them today.” Our volunteers were able to provide Rebecca and her family with information about nearby shelters and other resources. 

Since March 1, the Red Cross has been working with local emergency management, assisting individuals and families impacted by recent floods, and providing safe shelter, food and other support to people in need across the state. The Red Cross has also been working with the Southern Baptist Kitchen to provide meals to shelter residents and individuals and families of Breathitt and surrounding counties, whose homes have been impacted by the floods. To date, the Red Cross has provided more than 5,000 stays in emergency lodging and served nearly 52,000 meals and snacks. 

 If you have been impacted by flooding, please call 1-800 RED CROSS.