Causes of Floods and the Emergence of Flood Control Policy in Southeastern Kentucky

Major flooding occurred in Southeastern Kentucky in 1862, 1917, 1948, 1957, 1963, 1967, 1977, 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2015. Natural causes of floods include such events as droughts, excessive rainfall (most notably in the spring), and temperature changes that effect the freezing and thawing of soil during the times that snow melts in the mountains. Man-made causes include soil erosion and deforestation due to fires, farming, grazing, the extraction of resources (such as timber and coal), infrastructure construction (railroads and highways), development, and commercial growth. This study examines floods in Southeastern Kentucky in the contexts of the causes of flooding, the evolution of scientific knowledge about floods, and the history of flood control efforts. Data is obtained from historical newspapers, the National Weather Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The study demonstrates how policy-making decisions often pit the physical control of water against the physical control of land, ownership of watersheds by private vs. government entities, and whether prevention and recovery costs should be incurred at the local or national level. One conclusion drawn is that while floods are primarily natural phenomena, flood disasters are almost exclusively man-made. Current flood control practices invite future tragedies