Bad things happen. It is just a fact in life, be it a natural disaster or a horrible manmade calamity. We are more fortunate than many states that experience horrific mass shootings, consistent earthquakes, and town annihilating mud slides. Still, we have our share of horrifying disasters in Kentucky, and here are 10 of them.
1. The 1997 flood
The best way to describe the flooding of 1997 is to see the news coverage.
2. The 1974 tornado outbreak
This was one of the worst tornado disasters in Louisville’s history. My parents were moving when it hit. I can recall my mother speeding frantically down the expressway trying to outrun it. Thanks to a head start, she did. The aftermath was disastrous for many.
3. Potato Branch, 1981 mine blast
In Knot County, eight men were killed in a mine blast that occurred on December 7th. More than 400 men died in the same mine in the following years at the Adkins Coal mine at Topmost.
4. The 1937 flood
The actual number of deaths is unknown, but there were eight in Paducah alone. It is said that more than 26 bridges were wiped from existence in Christian County. The flooding affected the large rivers like the Ohio and Mississippi, but it also caused problems for those that lived near creeks and smaller rivers.
5. Scotia Mine disaster, 1976
In March of 1976 the Novia Scotia mine in the Ovenfork Community of Letcher County exploded and 15 miners were killed. Only two days later, another explosion occurred killing an additional 11 miners. A lack of ventilation was named as the cause of the explosions.
6. A N Johnston steamboat explosion, 1847
On December 29th around 2 a.m., the A N Johnston exploded on the Ohio River about 12 miles out of Maysville. The ship burned to the waters edge and the majority of persons onboard were killed. Witness accounts provided a list of possible dead, and that list was long. Those that survived were horribly scalded.
7. Bridge collapse, June 1900
An L&N railroad train was running to Greensburg, which is near Calvery. The bridge crossing the mighty Rolling Fork River collapsed as the train was crossing. The engine, express car, baggage and combo coach came crashing down more than 25 feet into the roaring river. Several people were killed.
8. Tornado outbreak in June 1917
At one point this was considered the deadliest tornado in Kentucky history. The community of Bondurant endured more than 21 deaths . Fulton county met with 42 deaths and well over 200 seriously injured. Clinton saw 17 people dead, and the list goes on and on.
9. Freight Train wreck, May 1935, Ashland
It was determined an unauthorized person, possibly someone with a grudge, opened a switch, which caused the train to crash. The head engineer was thrown to his death and the brakeman’s fate was worse, as he was scalded to death.
10. Landslide of 1910
Hawesville was home to a horrible landslide in July of 1910. A passenger train was caught in the landslide barely two miles from the town. A fireman was killed, but passengers survived, though shaken. The locomotive, along with the baggage car were caught under a high bluff and carried over 200 feet. The passenger cars were derailed.
These are just a few of the horrifying disasters in Kentucky over the years. Our people pull it together each time and carry on, rebuilding and improving. You can read about more troubling disasters in Kentucky’s history here.
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