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...







