Widespread Flooding in Perry County Forces Hundreds from Homes

Heavy rains on the night of December 7 produced rapid and widespread flooding across Perry County, centering on the city of Hazard and affecting communities countywide. Local first responders conducted more than 150 rescues in the first day and continued operations into the following morning as waters receded unevenly. Officials said the number of rescues was expected to climb as crews reached isolated areas.

Perry County EMS Director Jerry Stacy described the immediate priority for responders, saying "We are still focusing on making sure that we are getting people out of harm’s way," and "That’s our main focus at this moment." Mayor Donald "Happy" Mobelini said the scope of the flooding exceeded what residents endured in 2022, noting "I'm seeing water where I haven't seen water before," and "This flood is going to be a lot bigger than the one we had in the past because this covers the whole county." He warned the event covered a much broader area than the 2022 incident and emphasized the need for outside assistance, stating "It's huge," and "We would be bankrupt if we didn't get federal funding. We are going to need all the help we can get."

Local residents described shock at the damage and the speed of the inundation. Eddie Fields said "I was shocked at how bad it was," and described striking damage to public buildings, saying "The police station is two stories and it's covered up." City officials moved quickly to establish emergency shelters to provide safe and warm accommodations for displaced residents while search and rescue and welfare checks continued.

The flooding places immediate strain on local emergency services and creates fiscal pressure for municipal and county governments. Federal assistance arriving to the region will blunt immediate recovery costs but highlights persistent infrastructure and emergency preparedness gaps. Repeated severe weather events are likely to sharpen public expectations for investments in drainage, road and bridge resilience, and emergency response capacity.

Community leaders expressed confidence in local resolve, with Mayor Mobelini saying "We're strong. We're fighters, and we will get through this just like we did in 2022. We will get through this together," he Mobelini. In the weeks ahead county officials and residents will need coordinated federal and state support to restore damaged public infrastructure and to plan for longer term mitigation to reduce future disruption.