MADISON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX News) — Recovery from recent flooding is underway, and for those cleaning up, the road ahead is long. But amid the damage, residents say an outpouring of community support has already made a difference.
Mark Jackson said the water moved quickly, reaching his barn and pushing toward his house.
"My family's safe and our home is safe and there's a lot of people lost their homes down here and my heart's going out to them and it just, I couldn't ask for a better community to raise a family in," Jackson said.
Despite the destruction around him, Jackson said the response from neighbors has been a source of comfort.
"It's just a blessing how the community come together and, and it really touches your heart to see people that really care. There's still people that care in the world, and, yeah, I'm just blessed. I'm blessed even though it's falling apart," Jackson said.
Just across the road, Harold Pruitt is also beginning the cleanup process. Pruitt was in the process of building his house, and while it did not sustain as much damage as others nearby, he said he is grateful for the volunteers who have shown up to help.
"I didn't come down here till it's all over. I got here when the water was receding," Pruitt said.
Pruitt pointed to volunteers operating heavy equipment on his property, including some who traveled from out of state.
"This guy on the equipment is a volunteer. That guy down there on that piece of equipment is a volunteer, and there's some other volunteers coming in from out of state, and we've been blessed with people helping," Pruitt said.
One of those volunteers, Albert Rorabeck, came from North Carolina, bringing his own excavator, truck and trailer after hearing about the devastation.
"Let's go. That was about the only thought. Let's get up there. Let's do what we can," Rorabeck said.
Rorabeck said he did not wait for anyone else before making the trip.
"This my personal excavator, my truck, my trailer. I didn't need to wait for anybody, so I just ran with it," Rorabeck said.
With much of the cleanup still ahead, residents say the sight of people coming together has made the process feel more manageable.
"We'll just love one another right on and keep on, keep on trucking," Pruitt said.
Molly Demrow is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Molly at molly.demrow@wlex.tv.
