Despite Love for Appalachia, Many Are Considering Moving Away Rather Than Face Another Flood

Brenda Francis peers into the muddy basement of her home in Garrett, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. Francis is tired of the area’s flooding and wants to move away, to be closer to her grandchildren. The tiny town of Garrett was completely under water when floodwaters struck eastern Kentucky last week. (AP Photo/Dylan Lovan)

This tiny sliver of a town off a state highway in eastern Kentucky has been home to Brenda Francis and her husband, Paul, for decades.

Paul Francis was born 73 years ago in this house, a yellow and brown one-story, which like many dwellings in Garrett is nestled in a valley between tall, forested hills. The retired school teacher loves it here, and the couple was gifted the house by his parents about 40 years ago.

But after another flood — this one maybe the worst they’ve seen — Brenda Francis said she is done. She joins many others in this corner of Appalachia who see this latest disaster as a devastating blow to their lifestyle. Some say they’re considering moving away, despite their deep roots.

Francis, 66, said her husband wants to stay: “But not me. I don’t want to live here no more, and he knows it. So we’re going to be getting out of here.”

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Source: Associated Press, DYLAN LOVAN

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