HELEN MCCLAIN
A YEAR OF UNWAIVERING RESILIENCE
For years, whenever it rained heavily, rain water would rush down toward the culvert beneath Helen McClain’s driveway, sometimes carrying debris from the nearby creek. But on July 19, 2023, Mayfield, Kentucky, experienced a historic flood, receiving 11.28 inches of rain within 24 hours—a state record. Helen watched as the water from the creek overflowed across the road, sending flood waters towards her property. As the rain continued to come down, and the waters rose, her culvert became inundated with fast moving flood waters. “Heaven should have someone who takes care of the creeks, but there’s no such thing,” she thought.
When the rain finally stopped, Helen ventured outside to assess the damage. Large logs and debris were scattered across her property, and the culvert had been completely washed out. Although her home was spared from flooding, the destruction of the culvert left her driveway impassable. Accessing her property became nearly impossible.
For more than a year, Helen’s only way to get to her home was by carefully crossing the washed-out ditch on foot. She tied a rope to a tree for stability, using it to balance as she climbed over large rocks where the culvert had been. Every trip was a challenge. “If I bought a large sack of potatoes, I had to carry a few at a time to the house,” she recalled. She parked her vehicle at the far end of the ditch and made the trek each time she left her property, rain or shine. Though the creek was usually dry, she knew the situation was precarious, especially for an 82-year-old managing diabetes. Being diabetic, she knew that in an emergency, there was no way an ambulance could reach her home without crossing the creek bed on foot, which deeply concerned her.
With the washed out culvert being far enough off the road, it was not the state’s responsibility to repair it, leaving Helen on her own to find a way forward with repairs. In her pursuit of assistance with repairing her driveway, Helen was referred to the Mayfield Graves Long Term Recovery Group (MGC LTRG) by the Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, due to the severe weather event not being federally declared, resources to assist with flood recovery efforts were scarce. For over a year, Helen received no support. Undeterred, she did what she could each day to adapt and move forward. “I’m 82, and my son lives several hours away, so if I wanted or needed to go anywhere, I had to do what was necessary.” Despite her determination, it felt like an uphill battle, and she almost gave up after contacting the Governor.
One day, Diane from the MGC LTRG reached out again with good news: new resources had become available that might help with the much needed repairs for Helen’s driveway. Slowly, things began to progress. Members of the MGC LTRG, the County Road Department, and community volunteers worked together to assess the damage and come up with a game plan. MGC LTRG was able to secure funding from a partner organization, Week of Compassion, to cover the repair costs. The day finally came when Mike Baker and James Burgess from the MGC LTRG and local volunteers Keith Lowry, Pete Clark, and Dustin Green, showed up to complete the repairs she had been praying for.
Reflecting on her experience, Helen stated that the flood hadn't changed her perspective on life or resilience. "I have always believed in doing what needed to be done," she replied. "Having lived on my own for so long, I had to learn how to survive through challenges such as this." With no close neighbors, her son helped her proactively keep the limbs and trees cleared from the creek to hopefully prevent future flooding. Helen remains determined to help those in need and is incredibly thankful for the assistance she received. “I cannot thank you all enough for everything you did for me,” she said, her gratitude as unwavering as her resilience.