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Landslides, Climate Change And Gardening By The Signs, Inside Appalachia

After last year’s flooding in Eastern Kentucky, some people had trouble getting insurance reimbursement. But it wasn’t just flood waters that destroyed homes. The rains also brought landslides. We also visit with scientists in North Carolina, who explain how the language we use can lead to misunderstandings about climate change. And, in Appalachia, farmers have long planted their gardens by celestial signs. Berea College professor Sarah Hall has a new book about how that knowledge is still in use today.

After last year’s flooding in Eastern Kentucky, some people had trouble getting insurance reimbursement. But it wasn’t just flood waters that destroyed homes. The rains also brought landslides.

We also visit with scientists in North Carolina, who explain how the language we use can lead to misunderstandings about climate change.

And, in Appalachia, farmers have long planted their gardens by celestial signs. Berea College professor Sarah Hall has a new book about how that knowledge is still in use today.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

Floodwaters Lead To Landslides
The Appalachian Accent In The Language Of Climate Change
Book Bans In Prison
Gardening By The Signs

Floodwaters Lead To Landslides

We’ve shared several stories on Inside Appalachia about the historic flooding in Eastern Kentucky and people’s ongoing efforts to rebuild their homes and lives. But there’s another, less discussed aspect of the story — landslides — and how tricky it can be trying to get insurance reimbursement.

Host Mason Adams spoke with Kentucky journalist Austyn Gaffney, who’s written about the issue.

The Appalachian Accent In The Language Of Climate Change

Climate change means disruptions to global weather patterns — heavier rain, more intense storms, flooding and extreme heat — among other symptoms. Much of the research behind climate change uses data stored at the National Center for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina, the world’s largest repository of climate data.

Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Helen Chickering spoke with scientists about the trouble with the language of climate change.

Book Bans In Prison

Restricting access to books in school libraries is a national conversation, but what about book bans in prisons?

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit newsroom focused on the criminal justice system. It’s published a searchable database of the books banned in 18 state prison systems, including several in the Appalachian region.

WVPB’s Eric Douglas spoke with Marshall Project journalist Andrew Calderón about the project and what it could mean in West Virginia prisons.

Gardening By The Signs

It’s that time of year when people start planting their gardens. But when should you plant?

Sarah Hall is an associate professor of agriculture and natural resources at Berea College. She’s the author of “Sown in the Stars: Planting by the Signs,” a new book that blends Appalachian oral storytelling with the very old method of gardening by the stars.

Producer Bill Lynch spoke to her about learning about gardening by astrology.

Sarah Hall, a professor at Berea College, has a new book that explores planting by the signs through oral storytelling. *Courtesy*

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jesse Milnes, Chris Knight, Tyler Childers, Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., and Marteka and William.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Eric Douglas is our executive producer. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.

You can send us an email at InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Division Of Emergency Management Provides Update On FEMA Appeal

On Sunday the state Division of Emergency Management told members of the West Virginia Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding that it is gathering information to appeal a rejected disaster declaration request.

In early December, FEMA rejected flood aid for residents affected by August 15 floods in Kanawha and Fayette counties. This followed agency approved aid for McDowell County and a portion of Fayette County.

With four separate floods in 2022 alone, the state hopes FEMA will review its 72-hour rule and issue aid as one disaster.

G.E. McCabe, the director of the division, says his team is working with local and national weather service experts to submit new information to FEMA.

“Information from our flood gauges, or our string gauges or rain gauges from the hydrologists here within the state at our universities; we’ve got a lot of good information that we’re now submitting again, with some additional information from those folks in hopes to get our appeal back from FEMA,” McCabe said.

As part of his presentation McCabe reviewed the complex process to obtain a disaster declaration request for counties seeking financial assistance.

“Once they file their reports with the state, preliminary assessments are held with individual county emergency managers,” McCabe said. “From there FEMA carries out its own assessments. The state submits individual county requests to the governor who in turn requests a federal declaration from the President.”

McCabe said meeting state and county thresholds continues to be a huge challenge. While the state threshold is clear, he said it changes each year and there’s little clarity on individual assistance. He said FEMA has been unable to adequately explain their own threshold indicators but said the agency is working on clearer data to explain why some counties receive help but not others.

Addressing flood damaged infrastructure and roads, McCabe said highways funded by the Federal Highway Administration or WVDOT – do not meet state thresholds. He hopes FEMA will review its policy in this regard.

“Why can we not look at that? That is damage to our state,” McCabe said.

Sen. Eric Tarr asked how flood affected residents can access help from West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WV VOAD).

“When you have private property damage that FEMA doesn’t cover and they step in to help help – do those private individuals, if say, it’s on a road that’s in a subdivision and wipes out, or somebody’s pond gets them washed out, how do they know they have access to fill in one of these events, if FEMA is not reaching out to them?” he said.

McCabe said his team reaches out to flood affected residents through community meetings and publications to resources like the U.S. Small Business Administration’s low interest loan program, and FEMA’s Individuals and Households program which offers grant assistance to eligible applicants.

State resiliency officer Bob Martin discussed multiple flood mitigation projects and said the state’s 18-year-old flood protection plan has “finally” been updated while West Virginia’s Hazard Mitigation Plan will be completed by year’s end.

Martin said the state is working on educating the public about debris management prior to storms occurring.

“We want to emphasize to people that debris put out by the river or stream when there’s rain forecasted, is not the way of getting rid of things,” Martin said. “Plus working with the states and local communities to develop additional programs so that they have a ready source of debris management within counties and municipalities prior to the storm actually occurring.”

Martin talked about a joint project between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Huntington districts.

“They’re gonna be looking at how sedimentation affects the streams within West Virginia and on fire adjoining states and how the water flowing into the states affected by it.”

Martin also talked about other flood mitigation measures including the sustainable rivers program where the state is considering hydropower along the Ohio River where locks and dams are currently being retrofitted. He also updated the committee on the Natural Resources Conservation Service watershed projects that are looking to buyout communities and move people out of historically flood prone areas.

Flood Disaster Declarations Approved After Summer Storms

The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued two disaster declarations to help clean up the mess in McDowell and Fayette counties based on the July 12 and 13 floods and the August 13 and 14 floods respectively.

Rains from the middle of July to the middle of August made for the wettest summer on record in West Virginia, spurring flooding and mudslides.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued two disaster declarations to help clean up the mess in McDowell and Fayette counties based on the July 12 and 13 floods and the Aug. 13 and 14 floods respectively.

From July 12 to Aug. 15, the state received up to 200 percent of its normal precipitation and did not see one 24-hour period without rainfall. This led to multiple flooding events.

On July 14, Gov. Jim Justice declared a State of Emergency for McDowell County due to significant flooding that damaged more than 75 homes, approximately a dozen bridges and numerous roads throughout the county.
On July 28, Justice declared a State of Emergency for Fayette, Greenbrier, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties after severe thunderstorms, heavy rains and high winds caused significant local flooding, downed trees, power outages, disruption to potable water systems, and road blockages.
On Aug.15, Justice declared a State of Emergency for Fayette and Kanawha counties due to significant flooding that damaged more than 100 homes, roads and bridges throughout the counties.

In October, the Justice administration applied for relief from FEMA based on the damage as a whole instead of a singular flood event. These are the first two declarations from that request.
“Due to the damages incurred by these communities in the wake of the wettest summer on record for West Virginia, supplementary federal assistance is necessary to ensure the protection of life, property, public health, and safety, and to avert the threat of further disaster,” Justice said at the time. “I hope that President Biden and FEMA agree and approve our request quickly.”

Typical disaster declarations are specific to a singular flooding event, but the unique nature of the month-long flooding prompted state officials to request a singular flood designation for all the affected areas.

FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of West Virginia to supplement local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in McDowell County.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Jeffrey L. Jones has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Damage assessments are continuing in other areas and additional counties may be designated for assistance after the assessments are completed.

Justice requested that the federal government provide Public Assistance and certain Individual Assistance programs to support the state’s response. In addition to addressing the damages and impact outlined in this request, West Virginia is managing eight open federally declared disasters.

For more information on the disaster declaration process, please visit How a Disaster Gets Declared or www.fema.gov.

Southern W.Va To Benefit From Federal Flood Protection Funds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Tuesday said it will commit $2,817,600 to help reduce flood risks throughout the Elkhorn Creek and Tug Fork River Watershed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Tuesday said it will commit $2,817,600 to help reduce flood risks for communities throughout the Elkhorn Creek and Tug Fork River Watershed.

Elkhorn Creek is a 23.7-mile-long (38.1 km) tributary of the Tug Fork, belonging to the Ohio River and Mississippi River watersheds. It is located in McDowell and Mercer counties.

The portion of the Tug Fork watershed that lies within West Virginia drains lands in McDowell, Mingo, and Wayne counties, encompassing a 932 square mile area.

In recent years the state has been hit hard by serious flooding including dangerous flash floods that have resulted in the loss of life and property.

In July, Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for McDowell County after floods damaged more than 75 homes, 12 bridges and multiple roads.

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the USDA funding will bolster flood protection and increase the safety of the county’s residents.

The money, through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will be used to support the voluntary buyout, demolition and restoration of about 30 properties to restore natural floodplain conditions.

The West Virginia Flood Tool (WVFT) examined flood damage to 128 homes and buildings before recommending the buyout as the most cost effective solution.

The flood tool is an interactive web map application developed by the West Virginia GIS Technical Center. It provides public and official access to flood data about the degree of risk for an area or property.

Residents in the Elkhorn Creek/Tug Fork River Watershed are considered at higher risk of flood damage due to the concentration of real estate development in the floodplain.

Federal Disaster Assistance Requested For Communities Affected By Summer Floods

From July 12 to Aug. 15, the state received up to 200 percent of its normal precipitation and did not see one 24-hour period without rainfall.

From July 12 to Aug. 15, the state received up to 200 percent of its normal precipitation and did not see one 24-hour period without rainfall. This led to multiple flooding events across the state damaging homes, schools and businesses, washing out roadways, and miles of damaged or destroyed water and sewage lines.

In response, Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday that he has formally requested federal assistance for the damages.

“Due to the damages incurred by these communities in the wake of the wettest summer on record for West Virginia, supplementary federal assistance is necessary to ensure the protection of life, property, public health, and safety, and to avert the threat of further disaster,” Justice said. “I hope that President Biden and FEMA agree and approve our request quickly.”

On July 14, Justice declared a State of Emergency for McDowell County due to significant flooding that damaged more than 75 homes, approximately a dozen bridges and numerous roads throughout the county.
On July 28, Justice declared a State of Emergency for Fayette, Greenbrier, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties after severe thunderstorms, heavy rains and high winds caused significant local flooding, downed trees, power outages, disruption to potable water systems, and road blockages.
On August 15, Justice declared a State of Emergency for Fayette and Kanawha counties due to significant flooding that damaged more than 100 homes, roads and bridges throughout the counties.

Justice requested that the federal government providePublic Assistance and certainIndividual Assistance programs to support the state’s response. In addition to addressing the damages and impact outlined in this request, West Virginia is managing eight open federally declared disasters.

The granting of a federal disaster declaration is contingent upon FEMA’s review and the President’s authorization. There are no time constraints once the request has been submitted to FEMA.

For more information on the disaster declaration process, please visitHow a Disaster Gets Declared orwww.fema.gov.

Deadline Extended For Eastern Kentucky Aid

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the deadline for Eastern Kentucky residents to apply for aid from last July’s flooding.

The original deadline was about to expire, but at the request of the commonwealth, FEMA has extended the deadline to Oct. 28 for Eastern Kentucky homeowners and renters.

This declaration covers survivors in Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Whitley counties.

Kentuckians can apply for federal disaster assistance several ways:

Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for other languages. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, give FEMA the number for that service.
Visit a FEMA disaster recovery center to apply. Find the nearest recovery center by visiting www.fema.gov/drc or by calling the FEMA Helpline.
Apply online by visiting, disasterAssistance.gov
Or use the FEMA mobile app. Open the FEMA app and select “Talk to FEMA in person.”

View below for an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance:

FEMA Accessible: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance

FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. The assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for social security, Medicaid or other benefits.

Flooding in the region lasted several days. On July 29, President Joe Biden declared the region a federal disaster. Thirty nine people died. An untold number of houses were damaged or destroyed.