2009 Flood Response

Pikeville, KY — Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford has asked U.S. Representative Harold “Hal” Rogers and U.S. Senator Jim Bunning for help in seeking congressional delegation funding assistance to dredge the creeks, streams, and hollows in areas that were devastated by flooding during the weekend of May 8.

“We want to put some of our local citizens out into the workforce to dredge flood-devastated areas. This will stimulate our local economy by providing jobs to some of the people in the county who need them, and it will stabilize and protect areas that have been destroyed by flooding by preventing further flooding that could be caused by additional rains,” said Judge Rutherford.

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Pictured from left, Pike County Office of Emergency Management Director Doug Tackett and Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford examine cantaloupes given for distribution to Pike County flood victims by the Christian Appalachian Project. The agency delivered an entire tractor-trailer load consisting of more than 8,000 cantaloupes to the Expo Center for distribution on Sunday.

Caption: Pike County Deputy Judge/Executive John Doug Hays and Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford converse with Pike County Office of Emergency Management employees as U.S. Army National Guard soldiers prepare a load of supplies onto a Humvee outside the East Kentucky Expo Center on Thursday, May 14. The Expo has become a regional distribution center for Pike and other nearby flood-devastated counties.

Pikeville, KY— The East Kentucky Exposition Center in Pikeville has been transformed into a regional distribution center for disseminating relief supplies throughout Pike and other nearby counties that have been devastated by recent flooding.

Trucks from the U.S. Army National Guard, the Red Cross and other relief agencies are being sent from the Expo to distribution points throughout Pike County, including Belfry High School, Pike County Central High School, Hurricane Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Island Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Johns Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Big Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Belfry Satellite Courthouse, Kimper Volunteer Fire Department, Phelps Volunteer Fire Department, Blackberry Volunteer Fire Department, and Phyllis Church of Christ. The trucks are also being sent from the Expo to distribution points in neighboring counties including Floyd, Breathitt, Owsley, and Lee.

“The Expo became a distribution center for Pike County on Sunday, when the Division of Emergency Management in Frankfort started shipping supplies. By Monday, it had become a regional distribution center for surrounding counties as well, shipping relief items such as water, food, and various cleaning supplies that have been donated from numerous business and agencies, including Kelloggs, Wal-Mart, Mother Nature, and the Red Cross,” said Pike County Office of Emergency Management Director Doug Tackett.
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The following agencies are helping flood victims:

Food
•Bread of Life Foundation, (606) 639-9296
•Christian Appalachian Project, (606)789-9791
•Christian Life Fellowship Home Mission Outreach, (606) 639-2132 or (606) 478-5433
•Community Closet, (606) 754-5225
•Freeda Harris Baptist Center, (606) 754-7414
•God’s Helpers, (606) 639-9771
•HOPE of Pikeville, (606) 432-4673, (606) 835-7883 and (606) 835-4539
•Jubilee Christian Assembly, (606) 437-0292
•Operation Eat, (606) 639-9463; 437-0292
•Phelps Helping Hands, (606) 456-7433, (606) 456-3491 and 456-3182
•Pleasant Valley Community Church, (606) 478-4913
•Thankful Heart Food Pantry, (606) 437-6221
•Two Hands for Christ, (606)456-9901

Clothing
•Christian Appalachian Project, (606) 789-9791
•Christian Life Fellowship Home Mission Outreach, (606) 639-2132; (606) 478-5433

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By MARY MEADOWS
Staff Writer

INSPECTING: Governor Steve Beshear (center) is shown inside Belfry Middle School accessing the flood damage. Beshear is pictured with Representative Keith Hall (left) and BMS principal James Hurley (right). Medical Leader│ MARY MEADOWS

BELFRY — Governor Steve Beshear toured various areas of eastern Kentucky on May 12 to assess flood damage.

Beshear began his tour in Madison County, where a tornado touched down, killing two people and injuring others. He also toured Owsley, Breathitt and Garrard counties before he arrived in this region.

He visited with residents who have been displaced by the flood at a church shelter in Martin in Floyd County and then traveled to Belfry, where he toured the flood-soaked middle school and various communities that were devastated by the flood.

In Pike County, he was accompanied by U.S. Representative Hal Rogers, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, Senator Ray S. Jones II and representatives Leslie Combs and W. Keith Hall. Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford and other Pike County officials were also present.

Beshear ended his tour after assessing flood damage in Hazard.

“The people of eastern Kentucky need to know that we care about them and we will be there with them until they get through this,” Beshear said.

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This story appeared in the May 15 edition of the Medical Leader

By MARY MEADOWS

Staff Writer

DAMAGE: Several roads and driveways were washed out during last weekend’s rain storm. In Pike County, more than 12,000 people were without water service. Medical Leader│ELLEN BLACKBURN

BELFRY — Residents are still cleaning up after a storm that devastated area communities in southeast Kentucky and southern West Virginia last weekend.

Many people are comparing the flood to the devastating 1977 flood that ravaged the area. The U.S. Army Corps

Engineers in Huntington reported that heavy rains poured between two and six inches throughout the Guyandotte and Big Sandy basins.

“The devastation mirrors that of the 1977 flood in the areas that are affected and some areas, I feel, are even worse,” said Robyn Tackett, director of the Big Sandy Red Cross.

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Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) will be accepting donations of non-perishable food and clothing items for flood victims from May 13-17 at the hospital’s main campus. PMC will have a truck parked at its main entrance and donations will be accepted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

All donations will be given to HOPE, an area charity that is assiting flood victims throughout the region.

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