Kentucky: Floods in a Mining Town
I was called to Appalachia (Eastern Kentucky) to film the flood relief with World Central Kitchen. This NGO sends their chefs to cook alongside locals to feed every survivor a home-cooked, loved meal. Cooking “Soup Beans” or “Chicken and Dumplings” are loved dinners that will distract from the daily mucking and gutting.
This once mining town, was stripped of it’s top soil and this created deep valleys - which made sudden heavy rains turn their town into one big slip-n-slide.
These mountains, felt like I left the United States with a culture so strong, it’s tricky to put into words.
They lived simply, yet made complex meals from beans and pickled okra. They are resourceful - telling me how they saved their babies by tying them with their clothes to a sturdy tree - in the middle of 20 foot waters.
Every local was a master at walking barefoot on gravel, and knew every family in the valley as if it was downloaded to their minds at birth.
These folks live within nature - growing gardens and jarring up their harvest. Their homes would be found up winding, dirt roads called “hollers” which after the floods, are only accessible by horses or ATV. This made food delivery a challenge.
Blue Eyes and his grandson use the ATV to bring water to cut-off neighborhoods. Many roads are flooded out.
Because of spotty cell service and electricity - people just… talked to each other. Crazy, right? You can find anybody on their front porch, and I had such ease capturing stories - everybody had something to say about this “damn creek risin!”
I would spend days covered mud, sweat and mosquito bites - eager to talk to the next man burning flood debris or child chasing a dog for a stick.
But that’s the beauty of this region. How most of the world doesn’t know their presence. Because their hollows are hidden, they’re kept secret. This preserves their charm from the greedy, corporate developments.
Behind the Scenes
Catching a ride between hollows in hopes to film more stories before sundown.
“Watch out for the quicksand!”