LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (LEX18) — When flooding began here in Isom it was an experience all too familiar for the Taylor family. This mom and son have lived here for the last 10 years and knew they needed to escape.
24-year-old Greg Taylor, says, “It started out around 3:30 or 4:00, 3:30 am my mom woke me up, and she said get your stuff put it up high we're going through another flood and the first thing that came to my mind was here we go again.”
Unfortunately, this isn't the first lead this family has experienced. 10 years to the month, that's July 2012, they experienced another flood that motivated their move to Isom.
“I was 14 years old, and my mom was at work, and I remember I was just on my couch watching tv, playing Xbox or something, and it started raining the power went out,” says Greg.
The night of the floods this mom and son saw six feet of water quickly rising into their apartment. Greg Taylor knew he needed to act quickly to save his mom’s life and his own.
“I had to argue with her to get her to try because she was terrified, she can't swim. She said if we go out there, we're gonna die. I said mom if we don't try this, we will die,” says Greg.
With the front door blocked – Greg and his mom, Colette Taylor, were able to escape through this window. They say a tire happened to float up to them that they used as a floatation device.
Colette says, “I went and saw all that water, and all I could think of was getting me and Greg to safety.”
The two made it to this upstairs apartment and waited several hours for help to arrive. It’s a second experience for this family that they say has changed their outlook.
Colette says, “Material things don't mean anything. I'm alive. I'm alive and I thank God for that, he saved my life.”
Now, this family says they will continue to focus on what matters most.
“After all this, I realize that the most important thing is the people around you,” says Greg.
This family says through another difficult time, they’re choosing joy. Now, the family has found another apartment in Isom that’s located just across the way from where they were. They say they are thankful for each day they get to spend together.
