“It’s going to be a partial government doing what it can, which won’t be much,” Mr. Weinberg said. There are people and groups in the mountains — like Appalshop, the arts and cultural organization in Whitesburg that suffered severe flood damage — who have been working for years to transform eastern Kentucky into a thriving region no longer dependent on coal mining. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is already talking to lawmakers about a major flood relief package, and the FEMA administrator has pledged to help with recovery “as long as you need us.” But unless Congress provides additional money for people to rebuild or replace their homes — a process that could take years, if at all — many flood victims will have to rely on savings, charity or any other help they can find. . And many ask how much is left to preserve. On Tuesday, Bill Rose, 64, slowly shoveled piles of mud outside the Fleming-Neon machine shop where he and his brother like to tinker with old cars. Like many others, he spoke of the resilience people must have to live here. He said he was committed to staying. “You build back,” he said. But he made it clear that he was talking about himself. Not his children. He was grateful when his daughter left for a job as a nurse closer to Louisville, Ky. She loved it here, but there was nothing for her—no jobs, no opportunities, nothing to do. After last week’s deluge, there were even fewer. “My generation,” said Mr. Rose, “will probably be the last generation.”
