Kentucky rebuilds on strip-mined land to escape rising flood risks
Eastern Kentucky is moving flood survivors to housing developments on former coal strip mines as part of a nearly $800 million plan to combat climate-related disasters.
Austyn Gaffney reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Severe flooding in 2022 displaced thousands in eastern Kentucky, leading the state to relocate families to safer, higher ground on reclaimed coal mining sites.
- The new housing developments, designed to support over 600 families, feature solar-powered homes and aim to address regional housing shortages.
- Challenges include high construction costs, delayed federal funding and resistance from some residents to leaving generational land.
Key quote:
“We’re trying to figure out how to make sure our housing is resilient housing, and that it’s going to stand the test of time. We’re not just rebuilding for the next year, we’re trying to rebuild forever.”
— Mindy Miller, Housing Development Alliance
Why this matters:
As climate change continues to fuel catastrophic floods, wildfires and storms, it is forcing communities across the country to reconsider where and how they live. In Appalachia, where Kentucky has long been tied to the coal industry, the question of what to do with the thousands of acres of degraded mining land is taking on new urgency. Much of this land has been stripped of its topsoil and vegetation, leaving it unusable for traditional farming or development. But it also sits on higher ground, making it a potentially safer alternative to flood-prone valleys — provided contamination has been properly remediated.
Read: Kentucky AG receives $3 million to combat federal environmental regulations
