By Kristy Horine
It rained, and it rained, and it rained some more. The ground was completely saturated. A steady barrage of constant heavy rain over Valentine’s weekend coupled with wind gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour, followed by snow and freezing temperatures. It was a recipe for disaster, but also moments of hope.
Lula Bowling Ford lives in a small community called Coal Run, just north of Pikeville, Kentucky. After helping in college with some disaster relief efforts, she vowed never to live in a floodplain. She fulfilled that vow by choosing Coal Run, but she was among the thousands of Kentucky residents impacted by this year’s floods.
As the waters rose, people drove their vehicles to higher ground, which just happened to be the horseshoe driveway at Ford’s home. She noticed one car with an elderly woman and her daughter. In another car sat a man, a woman, and a little girl. And in a third car, a couple sat together.
“I didn’t know any of them,” said Ford, who serves on the Board of Directors for Christian Appalachian Project. “I had restrooms, and it was time for lunch. I just invited them to come on in. I couldn’t leave them in parked cars outside in the cold.”
She pulled out quilts and pillows. She offered couches, beds, and the floor. Ford’s home became a sanctuary when the waters rose. On Saturday night, no one was sleeping for fear of the rising waters. By Sunday morning, most of the area of Coal Run was flooded. Ford and her husband personally housed eight complete strangers in their home. Twenty-seven vehicles, including motorcycles and golf carts, lined their driveway. Ford watched as some of her neighbors rescued an elderly couple from their mobile home and carried them to higher ground.
Overcome with emotion, Ford paused in re-telling her experience. “You know the Lord said, ‘I was a stranger, and you took me in’. That’s how I felt about those poor people sitting in their cars. I knew I couldn’t go into my house and get some sleep with them sitting out there hungry and tired and cold. Some of them were very wet because they had to walk through water to move their cars to higher ground.”
Pike County experienced big floods in 1984, 1977, and 1957. But in the 50 years that Ford has lived in this area, she’s never seen anything like this. “There has been so much devastation,” Ford added.
Restaurants, homes, shopping centers, all flooded. Even what locals call “The Walmart Bridge,” the main Pikeville thoroughfare connecting US 119 and US 23, was under water.
After the devastating rains came the plummeting temperatures and more precipitation, this time in the form of snow.
“One of the greatest things about the Appalachian area is neighbors helping neighbors and the resilience of the people. You just pitch in and you shovel the mud, you help rip up the carpet, you carry things out and you go on,” she said.
When disaster strikes, CAP is there for the long haul to help communities rebuild. Through generous donations and selfless volunteers, CAP offers essential items and manpower to help flood survivors pick up the pieces and build back. CAP is currently coordinating response efforts through both Disaster Relief and Operation Sharing programs.
Ford has seen first-hand the help that CAP has provided in supporting and rebuilding communities. She also knows how vital donor support is.
“This kind of event is overwhelming. You look around. Your bedding is ruined. Your refrigerator is ruined. Your clothing is gone. People need someone to come in and stand to their shoulder and say, ‘We’re going to get through this.’” Ford said. “We’ve had windstorms, snowstorm, and flooding and people are in need. I watch these big trucks go by on the highway that say Christian Appalachian Project, We Deliver Hope. Hope carries people a long way.”
To volunteer, email volunteermanagement@chrisapp.org. To support flood relief efforts, visit christianapp.org/reliefnow.
