Why people rebuild in Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas despite the risks
- Written by Kristina P. Brant, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology, Penn State
Parts of the North Fork of the Kentucky River flooded in July 2022, and again in February 2025.Arden S. Barnes/For The Washington Post via Getty ImagesOn Valentine’s Day 2025, heavy rains started to fall in parts of rural Appalachia. Over the course of a few days, residents in eastern Kentucky watched as river levels rose and surpassed flood...







