“Prosilience” for Future Disasters in Floyd County, KY

In Floyd County, KY, residents have faced severe flooding and economic decline. They realized that being resilient after disasters is no longer good enough. Now they are aiming to be prosilient which to them means, “learning from every setback, building back stronger, and turning adversity into opportunity.” Through this effort they are developing long-term solutions that include: moving construction out of floodplains and onto higher ground, mapping former coal assets for future development, and creating a community resilience hub to support residents.

“Prosilient: learning from every setback, building back stronger, and turning adversity into opportunity.“

Floyd County Fiscal Court and the Floyd KY BRECC team collaborated with the Central Appalachian Network’s Community Resilience Working Group to implement a 12-month climate resilience initiative. This was funded through the Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI). For more details about CSCI and this collaboration you can listen in on this EESI podcast interview.

One of the deliverables for this project was the Flood Mitigation Plan that engaged community members, local leaders, and technical experts to assess current flooding challenges and identify potential mitigation strategies. This participatory process reflects both scientific expertise and lived experience, prioritizing historically disinvested populations that have been most impacted by repeated disasters.

Other deliverables for this project were:

• Housing Demand Study & Higher Ground Development Considerations
• Resilience Hub Report

(see below)

In July of 2026, Floyd County held a gathering that represented the culmination of months of collaboration through their Prep & Plan meetings and the Climate Smart Community Initiative.

“It reinforced that building a resilient community takes everyone—neighbors, nonprofits, businesses, educators, local government, state agencies, regional organizations, and dedicated volunteers—working together.” – Jeanie Howard, AmeriCorps VISTA, Flood Relief & Economic Coordinator at Floyd County Fiscal Court

Watch this discussion with Missy Allen, Floyd County Fiscal Court Special Projects Director, speak on the hardships Floyd has faced with devastating flooding and an economic downturn from a dwindling coal industry. She talk about the focus on economic growth and innovation as part of their resilience plan.