97-year-old KY flood victim whose photo went viral ‘died of a broken heart,’ family says
.png "Mae Amburgey, 97, sits in her home in Letcher County on July 28, 2022 surrounded by water after catastrophic flooding in Kentucky. She died Oct. 8.")
A 97-year-old Letcher County woman who received national attention in July for a photo of her surrounded by water in her home when flooding devastated Eastern Kentucky has died.
Missy Amburgey Crovetti said her grandmother Mae Amburgey died Saturday, not fully aware that a photo of her sitting on a bed surrounded by 4-feet of water in her Letcher County home, had gone viral and brought her national attention.
“I believe she died of a broken heart,” said Crovetti, noting her grandmother missed her home. Amburgey had been staying in Alabama with her son for about a week, unable to return to her flood-ravaged home.
“I think if it hadn’t been for the flood, if she hadn’t suffered that trauma, I think she would have still been with us,” said Crovetti.
Amburgey and her son were rescued from the house located on Highway 119 across from Letcher County Central High School. Crovetti said she had learned more details about what happened since she initially spoke to the media this summer.
Crovetti said her grandmother’s home was essentially destroyed.
Letcher Funeral Home in Whitesburg is in charge of the arrangements and a funeral is planned for Saturday.
This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 12:03 PM.