Thursday, March 13, 2025

Digital Beat

Resilient Kentucky Responds to Latest Floods

Over Valentine's Day weekend 2025, parts of Appalachia, many still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene just 5 months earlier, were battered by another round of heavy rain and flooding. Particularly hard hit was Eastern Kentucky, which received approximately 9 inches of rain over the weekend, leading to widespread flash flooding. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, more than 1,000 people had to be rescued, and more than 300 roads were closed. 

On February 24, President Donald Trump granted a Major Disaster Declaration for ten counties in Eastern Kentucky (Breathitt, Clay, Harlan, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry and Pike).

Here's a look at the storm's impact on telecommunications in Eastern Kentucky and what that might mean for broadband network builds in the coming years.

Infrastructure In the Wake of the Storm

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) activated the Disaster Information Reporting System for impacted counties in Kentucky on February 17 and collected Communications Status reports until February 20. Cell towers remained largely operational in the immediate aftermath of the storm: on February 18, just less than one percent of cell towers in the affected area were down. By February 20, half of those towers were operational again. Nearly 7,250 customers loss telephone, television, and/or Internet services in the wake of the storm. In addition to communications infrastructure, seven wastewater systems were out of service throughout the state, and thousands were without power. 

History of Flooding in Kentucky

Kentucky has a long history of flooding. Flood events occur within the state every year with several substantial floods occurring annually. Each year, the Commonwealth loses over $40,000,000 to flood related costs. The topography of the Commonwealth puts it at risk for flooding—there are 13 major drainage basins throughout the state and nearly 90,000 miles of rivers and streams. 

Additionally, Kentucky has a long history of coal mining. The removal of mountaintops deforested areas, leading to quicker runoff down valleys. Further, mining has compacted soil, reducing its capacity to absorb water. 

Eastern Kentucky, in particular, has a high frequency of flooding. From 1967 to 2022, Eastern Kentucky averaged one flood every two years compared to one every five years in the rest of the state. 

In July 2022, Eastern Kentucky suffered a major flooding event. Thirteen counties received federal disaster declarations; nine of those (Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Knott, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, and Pike) received disaster declarations for both the 2022 and 2025 floods. 

Residents and researchers noted communications failures during the 2022 floods. Although the National Weather Service issued repeated alerts, many residents did not receive them due to limited cellular and internet access. A 2023 Daily Yonder article asserted, “without massive investments in broadband, life-saving severe weather alerts could remain out of reach for rural communities.” 

Flooding and Kentucky’s BEAD Plan

In Kentucky’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program plan, the Office of Broadband Development identified flooding as a climate hazard with the potential to impact telecommunications infrastructure. The Office requested that subgrantees describe how they will mitigate the risks presented by flooding and other weather and climate disasters by: 

• Incorporating climate resilience into infrastructure design and
• Developing emergency response plans and communication strategies to ensure timely and effective response to extreme weather events.

Additionally, the Commonwealth’s 2018 Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan lays out communications action items, including upgrading communications equipment. 

States Lead on How to Build Resilient Communications Networks 

Reliable communications are critical to ensuring residents get through natural disasters as safely as possible. California, a state that faces frequent wildfires, has adopted six groups of resilience strategies for wireless and wireline communications providers with facilities in high-risk areas. 

1. Implement 72-hour back-up power to support essential communications equipment and minimum service levels for the public
2. Build and maintain redundant communication networks
3. Harden communication networks to withstand damage
4. Restore service to damaged or destroyed facilities. Use temporary facilities (mobile cell sites, mobile satellite, and microwave backhaul, etc.)
5. Establish communication and coordination processes with first responders, other public utilities, the Commission, and the general public
6. Establish preparedness planning for employees and ensure sufficient staffing levels.

Louisiana, which also faces frequent flooding, plans to bury 90 percent of fiber built through the BEAD Program underground “to ensure overall telecommunications resilience” in the face of severe weather events.

Going Forward

On an annual basis, unless otherwise spurred by a severe weather event, the Kentucky Office of Broadband Development will periodically repeat its climate analysis over the course of the BEAD program to ensure that evolving risks are understood, characterized, and addressed. The Office will use the most up-to-date tools and information resources to ensure that its broadband plan remains effective in addressing climate threats. The Office may update program materials including but not limited to programmatic guidelines and applications.

The lessons of the 2022 and 2025 floods highlight the need for resilient communications infrastructure in Kentucky. Moving forward, Kentucky can build upon its BEAD plan and hazard mitigation strategies by ensuring internet service providers prioritize climate resiliency and adopt best practices like the examples set by California and Louisiana. 

By working with policymakers, internet service providers, and local communities, Kentucky can prioritize resilient communications infrastructure to make the most of the major federal broadband investment and work toward a future where residents are better prepared and informed in the face of disasters. 

Additional Coverage on Kentucky's Broadband Priorities

• Universal Access to Affordable, Reliable Broadband in Kentucky
• Kentucky Pursues Full and Equitable Digital Access for All
• Better Internet for a Better Kentucky

See the latest Kentucky broadband news

More in this Series

• Milton's Four Horses Ride Through Florida
• The Road to Recovery in Western North Carolina

Zoë Walker is a Writing Associate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

© Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 2024. Redistribution of this email publication - both internally and externally - is encouraged if it includes this copyright statement.

For subscribe/unsubscribe info, please email headlinesATbentonDOTorg

Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-220-4531
headlines AT benton DOT org

Share this edition:

Broadband Delivers Opportunities and Strengthens Communities