Friars Join Community to Combat Flooding in Kentucky
A 1000-year Rain Event Hits Eastern Kentucky
By Fr. Bob Dueweke, O.S.A.
Berea, KY
August 2, 2022
Heavy torrential rains pounded Eastern Kentucky last week. The second of a 1000-year rain event in one week, the first being the deluge in St. Louis, Mo., caused flash floods in the middle of the night, forcing people to seek higher ground for safety. Hundreds of houses and trailer homes have been destroyed. Some people were stranded by surrounding torrents of water for at least four days. Many lives have perished.
The area in this remote region of Appalachia is the same area where I, and a team of priests, celebrate the Sunday liturgy. Two of the parishes, Holy Cross (Jackson) and Our Mother of Good Counsel (Hazard), were particularly hit by the flooding. Good Shepherd Parish in Campton, led by the Parish Life Director Kirsten Thorstad, collaborated in emergency evacuation efforts of 120 people to the local high school.
Yesterday I, along with Fr. Ray Flores, OSA, interviewed Kirsten and asked her about the situation. She said there was a fantastic response on the part of volunteers, crisis responders, and groups like the Good Samaritans and the Mennonites. The Catholic Appalachian Project (CAP) motivated groups of volunteers to the Hazard region. Donations helped to secure blankets, food, pet food, cleaning supplies, propane, and portable generators. Bishop John Stowe of Lexington has made available the parish church to other denominations for their worship space. Seven churches were flooded.
Many heart-touching stories have emerged from the emergency shelters. One father, now in a hospital with injuries, was able to save one child but lost his wife and two children in the rushing, muddy waters. With tears running down his cheeks, he said, “I tried to hold on to everybody, but the force of the waters swept them away from me.” Similar stories were shared in Hazard. One family lost all four children at once in the flash flood; only the parents survived. Another woman lost her trailer home for the second time in two years.
Benedictine sister Kathleen Wiegand gives this testimony:
“In Wayland, a bedridden man had water up to his neck. His wife kept putting 2x4s under his head to keep it from overtaking him, while she sat on the arm of the couch clutching her bible and saying, "please Jesus bring someone to save us." It took 4 hours before they could be rescued. People are helping people that is for sure. A lot had to be saved by helicopter since some of the rescue people couldn't get to the squad because of the buildings being surrounded by water.”
There are a few words that describe this devasting event. Lisa Santos, with her husband, who run St. Luke’s clinic in Campton, wrote this powerful poem.
God is with you!
I traveled back to my hometown
unsure of what would be,
devastation all throughout
it’s such a tragedy.
As I crossed the county line
and closed my eyes to pray,
Lord give me strength to do Your will
and help someone today.
I saw the piles of rubble
where a home once stood,
nothing left but memories
and a mangled piece of wood.
I’ve always held onto my faith
no matter where I strayed,
but in the face of tragedy
I’m feeling quite betrayed.
Jesus are you really here?
I feel as if you’re gone,
we need some understanding
but feeling all alone.
My hands began to tremble
as I heard Him softly say,
I am right beside you
each and every day.
You saw the fireman saving lives
While clinging to a tree
But as his hands began to slip
I held him there you see.
You saw the lady cooking
Passing out those meals,
I cleared a path before her
To deliver in these hills.
You hugged a stranger’s child
and wiped away her tears,
as I stood beside you
and took away her fears.
You saw the river raging
As the dam began to crack
I laid my hand upon it
And held the water back.
Look across that muddy field
The tracks made through the land,
But look a little closer
It’s my footprints in the sand.
This storm is almost over
I’ll turn the rain away,
I woke you up this morning
to start a brand new day.
Remember what would Jesus do
And follow in His lead,
For I will never leave you
Nor forsake you in your need.
These mountains are your home
It’s where my heart will be,
And what you do for many
You’re doing it for Me.
Scientists are clear that the two 1-in-1000-year rain events are due to climate change and the heating of the planet’s atmosphere and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This situation raises questions. The annual deluge is becoming a pattern in which the poor in Appalachia are heavily impacted. In the short term, there are crisis responders and the generosity of volunteers. What about long-term preparations? A question I raise is how much mountain top removal and coal mining have contributed to the horrific flooding. What sort of insurance and protection are available for those living in house trailers?
Is there a teaching moment from this experience? Kirsten says it best: “The generosity of people’s hearts has been overwhelming. We need to care about Appalachia, not just at crisis times, but year around.”
Donations can be made at this site: https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/1JBYJOL1HUM1E/guest-view
To volunteer for cleanup: https://www.christianapp.org/node/9211 or contact: bneuenschwander@chrisapp.org
Written by Robert Dueweke, OSA August 2, 2022
Berea, Ky
(Poem and photos used with permission)
