JACKSON, Ky. (LEX 18) — People in Breathitt County gathered Friday to remember the lives lost in last summer's deadly floods.
The event, held in a courtroom at the county justice center, marks one year to the day the county woke up to the rising waters.
Nine people were killed directly by the flooding in the county.
"Their absence has left a void in our hearts that will never be filled," said Wallace Caleb Bates, a coordinator with Aspire Appalachia.
Multiple community pastors shared their own prayers during the event, including Mark Driskill.
"May this be a day we not only remember but we celebrate that no matter how dark, darkness can be, the light of God is always brighter and greater," he said.
Faith is the guiding light that is allowing them to rebuild their homes and lives, Driskill said.
Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman spoke about the resilience of Eastern Kentucky.
"The only thing that rivaled that destruction was the spirit of Breathitt County that showed up for each other," Coleman said. "Today, I hope that we never forget the lives that were lost, the homes that were damaged, and the people whose lives were changed forever. "
Also speaking was Breathitt County Judge Executive Jeff Noble, who said he never felt more helpless than at 3 a.m. on the day of the floods, as his phone was filled with texts and calls from people needing help.
"It still just breaks my heart," Noble said "We're the only county that still has someone missing."
The widower and son of a still-missing woman, Vanessa Baker, were in attendance along with the family members of other flood victims.
It's a miracle the county didn't have 300 to 400 flood victims, Noble said.
"It's just amazing that god protected those people in the middle of the night, that they didn't just get some water in their house that washed their homes away," Noble said.
Jackson City Councilmember Stephen Bowling lost his son during the flood. Friday, he repeated the request he shared at his son's funeral.
"I asked people to say his name, I asked people to say his name to remember him, and I ask you to do the same," Bowling said.
He then shared the names of each flood victim in Breathitt County:
Vanessa Baker
Nancy Cundiff
Ruby Cundiff
Amy Henson
Jeanette Johnson
Gilla Ann Miller
Helen Campbell
Gary Combs
Tony Calhoun
"Say their name, and they live forever," Bowling said.
In the weeks after the flood, we heard repeatedly from people in Eastern Kentucky who were worried they would be forgotten. Friday's event goes to show how the opposite is true.
