By now the AFN readers will not be surprised to learn the 8 Days of Hope ministry shifted its resources to Kentucky, where spokesman John Tidwell is surveying flood damage. Some homes were swept off their foundation and some homes still standing sustained four feet of water, he says, but work has already begun to help Kentuckians recover.
“We're mucking out houses,” he says, “where we go into these flooded houses, and we're taking out the sheet rock and insulation, and we're letting the houses dry out.”
Mold is a main enemy because of the rainwater so there is a race to dry the homes quickly with dehumidifiers and fans.
Beginning on July 28, Eastern Kentucky experienced record-breaking floodwaters after up to 10 inches of rain fell in only a few hours. At least 37 people were killed, including children who were swept away by fast-moving waters.
According to its website, 8 Days volunteers began working in Eastern Kentucky on August 6 and will keep working through August 20. It is free to serve, and meals and lodging are provided, but volunteers must be 18 years or older.
