By Tina V. Bryson
On Valentine’s Day Weekend, Kentucky had 115 counties out of 120 under flash flood warnings. Staff from Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Disaster Relief and Operation Sharing joined daily calls with VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters) and began immediately communicating, collaborating, cooperating, and coordinating efforts. Fifteen counties were declared including Floyd, Johnson, and Martin Counties.
Hundreds of homes were impacted by this flood immediately followed by freezing temperatures, snow, road closures, and rising rivers that prevented immediate help arriving. In the first week, CAP had 11 teams going out to help families in need. At this time, volunteers have completed cleanup on 88 homes (28 completed by other agencies or homeowners). CAP’s Disaster Relief has completed 136 assessments, 8 are in progress, 8 are a total loss, and 2 on the CAP waiting list. So far, 275 CAP employees and volunteers have deployed to impacted communities. Volunteers and AmeriCorps members have served 9,694 service hours in direct support of relief efforts, plus 4,894 service hours by CAP employees. Those efforts combined equal 14,588 hours toward disaster cleanup.
“It has been heart breaking to see the struggles these families have been through not once but now twice. Our goal is to help with long-term solutions like raising their homes or even helping families relocate if they are willing,” said Robyn Renner, CAP’s director of Disaster Relief. “The floods in 2022 were supposed to have been the 1000-year flood but here we are three years in and flooded again.”
CAP’s Disaster Relief team set up a Command Center at Foley Mission Center. The Volunteer Program came to the rescue once again, managing volunteers. Operation Sharing had not stopped providing relief supplies since Hurricane Helene, so they continued delivering critical resources to Eastern Kentucky.
“Colleges were already on the way as part of CAP’s alternative spring break service project. We quickly made the decision to divert our WorkFest groups to Disaster Response,” Renner added. “All hands were on deck from CAP’s Home Repair to provide leadership for volunteers at each site. We are discussing how we can continue helping these families in the near future.”
Renner and her team are currently working on quotes with contractors to get two homes raised above the highest flood level.
So far, Operation Sharing has delivered 41 truckloads of essential supplies — with more on the way — to the following areas:
• Kentucky: Leslie, Perry, Knott, Floyd, Breathitt, Johnson, Martin, Letcher and Pike counties
• West Virginia: Mingo, Wyoming, and McDowell counties
• Virginia: Buchanan County
In addition to these deliveries, CAP has partnered with many community organizations that have been actively working to distribute gift-in-kind (GIK) supplies to impacted communities.
“Each delivery is a powerful reminder of the unwavering generosity of our donors, whose kindness drives our mission forward,” said Aaron Thoms, manager of CAP’s Operation Sharing program in Paintsville. “Their support goes beyond just supplies; every truck is a testament to compassion in action, a symbol of unity, and a profound commitment to helping others rebuild their lives. We are deeply thankful for their incredible dedication, which brings comfort and hope when it’s needed most.”
He added, “Our Operation Sharing teams have shown incredible strength, stepping up time and time again to support families in their darkest moments. To people still in need, I want them to know that they are not forgotten. Asking for help is never a sign of weakness; it’s a courageous step toward rebuilding and healing. They are stronger than they know, and there are resources and communities ready to help.”
Renner concluded, “It takes all the strength volunteers and employees have to help these families, but it takes a toll on everyone’s mental health too. So, we try to be mindful of that given the back-to-back flooding we’ve had recently. We are doing everything we can through strategic partnerships to get these families a safe, warm, and dry home to live in again.”
