Episode 12

When the Waters Rose: Fighting for Family and Community After the Eastern Kentucky Flood

Published on: 18th July, 2024

Show Notes: "When the Waters Rose: Fighting for Family and Community After the Eastern Kentucky Flood"

Episode Summary: In this compelling episode, host Kristen sits down with Perry County resident Brian Lucas to discuss his harrowing experience during the devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky in July 2022. Brian, a clinical engineering director for Appalachian Regional Healthcare, shares his extraordinary story of survival, resilience, and determination as he and his family faced unprecedented natural disaster. This episode also features insights from Dr. Gavin Rienne, a social epidemiologist, who provides expert analysis on disaster recovery and the importance of community resilience.

Key Moments:

  • Introduction to the Floods [00:00:00]: Kristen sets the scene, describing the severe flooding that ravaged Eastern Kentucky, focusing on the hardest-hit counties.
  • Brian’s Story Begins [00:00:26]: Brian recounts the days leading up to the flood and the initial moments when he realized the severity of the situation.
  • Escape and Survival [00:01:54]: Brian details the chaos of escaping his flooded home with his family and the steps he took to ensure their safety.
  • Community and Resilience [00:39:13]: Brian discusses the impact of the flood on his community and his determination to rebuild and support his neighbors.
  • Impact on Children [00:35:40]: Brian talks about the psychological effects of the disaster on his children and the community's younger members.

Expert Insights with Dr. Gavin Rienne:

  • Paperwork and Insurance Struggles [00:25:25]: Dr. Rienne explains the systemic challenges disaster survivors face with insurance claims and paperwork.
  • Community Resilience [00:39:13]: Dr. Rienne discusses the importance of community resilience and the need for better disaster preparedness and response.
  • Impact on Children [00:35:40]: Dr. Rienne provides insights into the long-term effects of disasters on children’s mental health and the critical support systems needed for recovery.

Additional Topics Covered:

  • Brian’s Heroic Actions: Brian shares the moment-to-moment decisions he made to save his family and help his neighbors during the flood.
  • Rebuilding Lives: The process of starting over from scratch and the community’s role in recovery.
  • Policy and Preparedness: Discussion on what can be done to better prepare for future natural disasters.

Quotes:

  • “We weren't ever going to go back to where we were. We were starting over, and you have to take one day, one hour, one minute at a time if that's what it takes.” - Brian Lucas
  • “Disasters are local, and how a disaster affects a neighborhood in Area Code A may look entirely different than Area Code B.” - Dr. Gavin Rienne

Resources and Links:

Call to Action: If you were moved by Brian’s story and Dr. Rienne's insights, consider supporting disaster relief efforts in your community or donating to organizations focused on disaster preparedness and recovery.

Contact and Social Media:

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About the Podcast

Shift Shift Bloom
A TCOM Podcast About People and Change
Shift Shift Bloom is a podcast examining how people change, why they change, and how they sustain the changes that are most important to them in their everyday lives. Our guests consider themselves change makers, change embracers and change resistors — we’re all somewhere on that spectrum at different times in our lives, aren’t we? Conversations with host Kristen Cerelli explore the impact of mindset, personality, life circumstances, communities of support and sources of inspiration on the process of transformation. Illuminating how change can be both deeply personal and profoundly universal is the show's guiding principle.

Shift Shift Bloom is produced by host Kristen Cerelli and audio engineer Timothy Fall at ActuallyQuiteNice, a full-service media studio. They develop the show in collaboration with Dr. John Lyons, Director of both The Center for Innovation in Population Health at The University of Kentucky, and The Praed Foundation, which supports the development and dissemination of systems improvement strategies called Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management, or TCOM. Online at https://praedfoundation.org, https://tcomconversations.org and https://iph.uky.edu.
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About your hosts

Kristen Cerelli

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Host Kristen Cerelli created Shift Shift Bloom in collaboration with Dr. John Lyons of the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky. She's also an actor, singer-songwriter and performance coach.

John Lyons

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John S. Lyons, Ph.D. is the Directory of the Center for Innovation in Population Health and a Professor of Health Management. He is a luminary in mental health policy and practice, and the original developer of TCOM and its associated tools and approaches.

Timothy Fall

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Multimedia producer Timothy Fall creates Shift Shift Boom alongside Kristen Cerelli at ActuallyQuiteNice Studios, where they make podcasts and films and music and dinner.