Perry County library to host flood remembrance in Hazard

Perry County Public Library will open its doors in Hazard for a flood remembrance that is meant to do more than look back. The library’s “Honoring Memories: Flood Remembrance Presentation” will run Wednesday, June 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 289 Black Gold Blvd., with the focus on the loved ones lost and the damage Perry County has carried since the 2022 flood.

The event is listed as open to all ages, a sign the library is trying to make the day accessible to families, children and older residents alike. Its summer reading flyer describes the program as a photo memorial play-through presentation led by the library’s genealogist, and it also includes a remembrance craft activity while supplies last. Amber Deaton, the library genealogist, is the contact listed for more information.

That approach gives the event a civic role that goes beyond ceremony. In a county still living with the aftermath of the July 2022 flooding, a photo memorial can function as an archive as much as a gathering, preserving names, faces and places that changed when floodwaters tore through homes and neighborhoods. Local reporting has noted that library staff previously worked to preserve photos, videos and stories from the flood, extending that effort into a public remembrance format.

The scale of the disaster explains why the memory still feels immediate. The National Weather Service said the flooding that struck Eastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia between July 25 and July 30, 2022 brought deadly flash flooding and devastating river flooding. Its assessment said the disaster claimed 43 lives and brought estimated rainfall totals of 14 to 16 inches in parts of Eastern Kentucky. FEMA’s record for Kentucky identifies the event as FEMA-4663-DR and says severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides began July 26, 2022.

Perry County Public Library is also using the event to underline its role as a countywide public institution. The library says all facilities and meeting rooms are ADA compliant, and patrons can request accommodations at least 72 hours in advance by contacting the library at library@perrylib.org or calling (606) 436-2475. The library serves Perry County through its main branch, a bookmobile and an outreach van, which makes the Hazard program part of a wider network of public access across the county.

For residents, the remembrance arrives as a marker of what remains unfinished. Roads, homes and public spaces have changed since 2022, but so has the work of remembering the dead, documenting the damage and preparing for the next flood.