Eastern Kentucky’s beauty has shown its savage edge. Our people need your help.

The sun crept up over the mountains to the east this morning revealing a sparkling carpet of white on the pastures. Birds have begun their early morning ritual of singing the surrounding hills to life as the approach of springtime beckons. Daffodils have sprung from the ground and the blush of tree buds softens the landscape.

It is this beauty that always inspires me to appreciate what the natural world has to offer. In a world of division and bitterness it is continuously a welcome respite.

Yet this friend of beauty and peace can also be an evil force that tears down and destroys with a vengeance. Friend or foe, nature at all times lets us know who is in control.

Across this country and particularly across this state, we have suffered devastating loss. From the ice storms to the recent historic floods of Eastern Kentucky, nature has dealt a blow to many people. Ice storms may have destroyed trees in suburban areas but it left thousands without power for days in the eastern parts of the state. Just as the area rebounded from this hardship and enjoyed a few uncommonly warm days, further destruction has unfolded.

For two days, heavy rains fell across the area and coupled with melting ice and snow, the force overwhelmed the streams and rivers of the area producing unprecedented flooding. Kentucky author Jesse Stuart put it this way, “The beauty of winter rain and singing streams that leap down hills and run in silver ribbons when the sun pops through the clouds—it is hard to believe that such beauty has gone toward making this flood.”

I lived in Georgetown during the 100-year flood of 1989 but as I now reside on my farm high above the flood waters of the Kentucky River, it is hard to fathom the magnitude of this historic 2021 flood. A flood in the city of Lexington pales in comparison to a flood in the mountains with the Kentucky River all around us.

Communities along the waterways which have endured economic downturns, the effects of the pandemic, and the scourge of drug addiction now face another task of herculean proportions. Homes and businesses which have never been affected before now stand in ruin. It may not compare to widespread recent reports from Texas or past experiences with hurricanes, yet for this region the results are just as bad or worse.

I love the outdoors and spend my fall and winters in the field and woods and spring and summers wading the flowing waters of Eastern Kentucky. One of my favorite destinations is the South Fork of the Kentucky River which just reported its highest crest ever. A picture of a small rural grocery store and gas pump at Oneida showed water to be four to five feet deep in the establishment. It is a convenient stop for a refreshment in both winter and summer excursions but more importantly it is a vital hub for a very rural area. Will it have the resources to rebuild and serve local residents?

The resources of this country—coal, timber, water, natural gas, and of course, its people — have helped develop and build this state. Much has been said about the needs of Eastern Kentucky, and ideas and solutions are continually bantered about.

But economic development schemes are for the future. Eastern Kentucky communities need help now. The future of the communities that make up this region will depend on the help of all.

Now more than ever strong leadership must emerge. Realization needs to set in that we are all Kentuckians and Americans regardless of different beliefs. Communities such as Irvine and Beattyville — which lost two of their signature events in the Mountain Mushroom Festival and the beloved Wooly Worm Festival for two years — now need your help. And these communities are just two of many.

Public and private assistance will be sorely needed in the days ahead. It is easy to forget the devastation once an event has passed but the effects of this flood will be felt for a long, long time. Without this assistance the path forward across the eastern portion of our state will indeed be dismal.

To help Eastern Kentucky communities affected by flooding, you can visit the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky at appalachianky.org, the Christian Appalachian Project at https://www.christianapp.org/ or check out a roundup of organizations found here.

Mark Reese is retired from the UK Cooperative Extension Service and lives on a small farm in Estill County where he raises sheep, and writes a weekly outdoor column for the Estill County Citizens Voice and Times.