"WASHINGTON — In eastern Kentucky, Libby Honeycutt listened upstairs to the sound of glass breaking below as floodwaters tore apart her house. Twenty-six miles to the south, Ronald Conley rescued his dogs from his elevated house with a pontoon boat. Jennifer Campbell heard the screams from across the river of a neighbor desperate for 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.
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. That work was made harder for the vast majority hit by the downpours, including these three people, who did not have flood 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. The gap illustrates the foundational flaws in a program that fails to balance affordability, flood protection and cost to taxpayers."
Michael Phillis and M.K. Wildeman report for the Associated Press September 29, 2026.
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