This article is Newly published by The conversation Under A Creative commons license.
On Valentine’s Day 2025, heavy rainfall began to fall In parts of the rural appeals. Over the course of a day, the residents of Ostkentucky observed how the river level rose and the flood exceeded. Emergency teams carried out Over 1,000 water rescues. Hundreds, if not thousands of people driven out of housesand entire business district sludge.
For some it was the third time in just four years that their houses were flooded, and the process of disposal of destroyed furniture, cleaning the dirt and the new start starts again.
The floods wiped out companies and houses in February 2021, July 2022 and now February 2025 in the east of Kentucky. An even larger selection of destruction of the Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina in September 2024, as Hurricane Helene Reflection and flood Decimated cities and washed off parts of Big motorways.
Each of these events was considered a “thousand -year -old flood”, with a chance of 1 to 1,000 in a certain year. But they are happens more often.
The floods have highlighted them Resilience of the locals Work together for collective survival in rural appal axis. But they also revealed them deep vulnerability Of communities, many of which are located along streams at the foot of hills and mountains with poor emergency warning systems. Since short -term cleanup leads to long -term recovery efforts, residents can be exposed to discouraging barriers, which many are repeatedly exposed to the same flood risks.
Uncover a real estate crisis
In the past nine years I have researched health and poverty in Appalachia. It is often a complex region painted in wide brush strokes This misses the geographical, socio -economic and ideological diversity that it has.
Appalachia is Home of a lively cultureA violent feeling of pride and a strong feeling of love. But it is also characterized by the ubiquitous backdrop of A declining coal industry.
In a region that is presented as one -dimensional, there is a considerable quality that is often overlooked in a region. In fact, poverty levels are high. In Perry County, Kentucky, where one of the larger cities of Ostkentucky, Hazard, is located. Almost 30 percent The population lives below the Federal Little Border. But the Average income of the top 1 percent The workers in Perry County are almost $ 470,000 – 17 – more than the average income of the remaining 99 percent.
