In eastern Kentucky, Libby Honeycutt listened upstairs to the sound of glass breaking below as floodwaters tore apart her house.
asserted
floodwaters → listen → house
Twenty-six miles to the south, Ronald Conley rescued his dogs from his elevated house with a pontoon boat.
asserted
Conley → rescue → boat
Jennifer Campbell heard the screams from across the river of a neighbor desperate for rescue.
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Campbell → hear → rescue
They all remember the horrifying speed of that July 2022 flood that also isolated so many by knocking out cell service, leaving people unable to learn the fate of loved ones.
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that → remember → ones
And then the sun rose, the waters receded and thousands of people had to figure out what to do about their damaged homes and upended lives.
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thousands → rise → homes
That work was made harder for the vast majority hit by the downpours, including these three people, who did not have flood insurance.
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who → make → insurance
Nationwide, just 2.4% of properties are covered by 4.5 million federal flood insurance policies, an Associated Press analysis shows — but 8.4% are at severe or extreme risk of flooding.
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% → cover → flooding
The gap illustrates the foundational flaws in a program that fails to balance affordability, flood protection and cost to taxpayers.
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that → illustrate → taxpayers
It’s getting worse.
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It → get → ?
This downward trend collides with the rising risk of flooding across many areas of the United States, driven by climate change that can strengthen hurricanes and worsen downpours far from the coasts.
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that → collide → coasts
The problem is especially bad in eastern Kentucky, where in some ZIP codes, no more than 5% of properties are covered by flood insurance, even though hundreds or thousands of buildings are at extreme risk of flooding, according to figures from the federal government and data provided exclusively to the AP by the risk analysis group First Street.
uncertain
hundreds → cover → group
It’s not just Appalachia — coastal areas including parts of southern Louisiana stand out, too.
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areas → ’ → Louisiana
Areas at high risk of flooding and where few people are insured tend to be poorer, experts said, as are areas where FEMA’s flood maps don’t properly convey the severity of the risk or mandate that enough people buy coverage.
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people → insure → coverage
Proposals to overhaul the program have stalled, including adding options to make it more affordable to low-income buyers.
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it → overhaul → buyers
“Everybody agrees it’s broken, but no one can agree how to fix it,” said Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, faculty director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University.
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Schlegelmilch → agree → University
Conley’s double-wide trailer in Kentucky is elevated by stacked cement cinder blocks.
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trailer → elevate → blocks
In 2022, when he floated his dogs to safety on a pontoon boat, that wasn’t enough.
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that → float → boat
The flood left six inches of “gooey, clay mud” in the house that was so thick it could suck shoes off feet and had to be shoveled out.
uncertain
it → leave → feet
Without insurance, he’s mostly lived in a small place FEMA provided and relied on generous church groups and donations, he said.
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he → live → groups
With insurance, he is confident the work would have been done much faster.
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work → do → insurance
Instead, after that flood, and another that set his repairs back in 2025, he was only able to move back into his home this month.
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he → set → home
Why and how the government provides flood insurance
Congress set up the National Flood Insurance Program in 1968.
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Congress → provide → 1968
It offers flood insurance in participating communities that agree to take steps to manage flood risk, such as restricting construction in high-risk areas.
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that → offer → areas
Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover floods.
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insurance → cover → floods
Policies are available to renters and businesses, but most are purchased by homeowners covering up to $250,000 for their property and $100,000 for belongings.
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most → purchase → belongings
FEMA flood maps determine who is in a high-risk area where flood insurance must be attached to a federally backed mortgage.
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insurance → determine → mortgage
When it works, it is life changing.
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it → work → ?
Bryant Matthews was up late with a toothache in Letcher, Kentucky, when he noticed the water rising fast during the 2022 flood.
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water → notice → flood
Being awake, he managed to get his wife, stepkids and mother to safety.
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he → manage → safety
I was aware of what was going on, and I was able to get the family out of the house before it got too bad.”
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it → go → house
Friends let them stay in their basement for about three months and they lost a lot.
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they → let → lot
Beloved collections of old Metallica recordings and cheesy 80s horror movies were damaged.
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collections → damage → recordings
But they had flood insurance, which paid what was left on their mortgage.
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what → have → mortgage
That helped them start again, debt free.
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them → help → ?
They found a place in nearby Hazard, which was closer to the kids’ school and their work.
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which → find → school
“I am very appreciative, very blessed,” he said.
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he → say → ?
Experts say flood maps need reform
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maps → say → reform
In many places, FEMA’s flood maps don’t do a good job of capturing the extent of severe flood risk.
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maps → do → risk
Millions think their homes are safer than they really are and aren’t forced to buy insurance when they probably should.
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they → think → insurance
That made rebuilding more difficult in 2022 after more than a foot of rain fell over parts of Kentucky, killing more than 40 people.
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foot → make → people
…and 55 more, not listed.
The Aporia
