Severe Flooding Raises Deadly Overdose Risk in Rural Appalachia, Study Finds – and the Harm Lasts for Years

Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia, study finds, and the harm lasts for years

When she went to sleep on July 27, 2022, McKayla wasn't worried about the storm that was raging outside her trailer in southeastern Kentucky. Intense storms were frequent in summer. While the creek in front of her home would often rise, water never came close enough to be a concern.

Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia, study finds – and the harm lasts for years

Flooding has torn apart homes in eastern Kentucky several times in recent years. Michael Swensen/Getty ImagesWhen she went to sleep on July 27, 2022, McKayla wasn’t worried about the storm that was raging outside her trailer in southeastern Kentucky. Intense storms came frequently in summer. While the creek in front of her home would often rise, water never came close enough to be a concern. But at 6:30 the next morning, one of her children rush…

Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia, study finds -- and the harm lasts for years

Disasters weaken support systems that take years to rebuild, at the same time people caught in them are under extraordinary psychological stress.