In the midst of despair, flood victims find peace | va tennessee valley health care | veterans affairs

As Witt Cook drove further into the Appalachian Mountains, he was enamored by a sea of lush, vibrant green hills and pockets of smoke that gently lingered onto the trees. He imagined what

the fall foliage looked like in eastern Kentucky as he followed his GPS to the Letcher County Recreational Center. Packed in the back of his van were boxes brimming with packaged food,

clothing, hygiene products and other necessities donated from VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. As he described it, Witt was headed to “ground zero.” In late July, deadly floods roared

through Letcher County and other communities near Whitesburg, Kentucky leaving more than 30 people dead and thousands stranded without power, housing, and food as temperatures climbed in the

90s. Experts are calling it a 1-in-100-year flood. This wasn’t Witt’s first time responding to crisis. In fact, it was his seventh. As an outreach coordinator with the Nashville Vet Center,

he’s called into action when crisis and emergency support is needed. “We loaded up the van Thursday and had basically all the stuff you would need like toilet paper, clothes and whatnot

ready to be donated to the community,” the Operation Enduring Freedom Navy Veteran said. “We set up at the recreational center. [Federal Emergency Management Agency] was there. Red Cross was

there, and the Kentucky driver’s license staff were there to help people get new driver’s license after the flood.” The atmosphere was heavy. Families and community members lined up outside

the recreational center to receive donations and talk with FEMA. Many of them connected over their experiences with the flood and what they lost. Despite the anguish, several residents

found peace in Witt’s presence. “A lot of times, they would approach me, and their demeanor was down. A lot of the things they had were gone or a complete lost,” Witt said. “The first thing

I’d do is sit ‘em down and ask ‘em how they’re doing. Just give ‘em a chance to really let me know what’s going on.” What started out as small talk turned into resident’s showing Witt photos

of their family, pets, houses, and a discussion of happy memories. Most of the interactions ended with a soft smile that wasn’t there before. Some offered a firm handshake and others gave a

hug. “They needed help. They needed basic support and help, and we were there for them. Eventually after opening up, they’d ask us for more resources, and we’d start making phone calls to

get ‘em what they needed. We didn’t just want to give them a packet with phone numbers. We wanted to make those phone calls for them to help,” Witt said. Eastern Kentucky residents impacted

by the floods can visit FEMA’s website for disaster support assistance.