LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Parts of Eastern Kentucky are still recovering from the devastating floods in 2022.
A group of researchers at the University of Kentucky are hoping to better prepare for future flooding events by participating in a four-year funded project titled "The Flooding in Appalachian Streams and Headwaters Initiative: Mitigating impacts of climate change and flash flooding in Appalachia."
"We can hopefully develop some technologies that will help folks get out of the holler, essentially before a flood comes down," says Kenton L. Sena, Ph.D., co-principal investigator and senior lecturer in UK's Lewis Honors College.
The National Weather Service reported that in 2022, from July 25 to the 29, between 14 to16 inches of rain fell on 13 Eastern KY counties.
NWS officials said it was the deadliest nontropical flood event in the counrty since the late-1970s. Forty-five people died, 9,000 homes were destroyed and hundreds of families were displaced.
"If we understand the environmental conditions in the ground and we can predict upcoming rainfall, we will be able to give folks a pretty timely warning that is unique to their place that will help them to get out," explains Sena.
A group of civil engineers, environmental scientists and social scientists from several universities, including UK and EKU, will study flash flooding in small head water streams in Appalachia.
UK's team will include 50 years of stream flow and precipitation data from the Robinson Forest, a teaching, research, and extension forest. The four-year funded project will also include programming for schools in Eastern Kentucky.
"We are working with some folks in forestry extension to develop and deliver some field days for middle school students in Eastern Kentucky. So, that will be in collaboration with some teachers and local middle schools and that will involve some surface reforestation and just some education how forests participate in water cycle and help to mitigate flooding," says Sena.
The goal of the project is to develop better early warning systems.
"It's sort of a wake-up call, highlighting the need to better understand how flooding works in the particular area, this region of the world and state, and to couple that understanding with some practical and useful tools to try and improve public safety," says Sena.
The team expects to launch the study this year, with the goal of collaborating with Eastern Kentucky Schools within the next two years.
