Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia, study finds – and the harm lasts for years

Flooding has torn apart homes in eastern Kentucky several times in recent years. Michael Swensen/Getty Images When she went to sleep on July 27, 2022, McKayla wasn’t worried about the storm that was raging outside her trailer in southeastern Kentucky. Intense storms came frequently in summer. While the creek in front of her home would often rise, water never came close enough to be a concern. But at 6:30 the next morning, one of her children rushed into her room panicked. McKayla ran to the…