Kentucky’s climate migration: Turning old coal mines into housing WKU Public Radio
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InlateFebruary,MindyMillerandJuliaStanganelliwoundalongKnottCountyroads,curvingaroundthestreamsandovermountainpeaks.
Allthewhile,theyguessedathowmanypeoplehadleftinthetwoyearssincethefloodscamethrough.
“It’sreallyhardtowrapyourheadaround,”Stanganellisaid.“Therearedefinitelypeoplethathavemovedoutandthegoalisforittobetemporary.Butthereareprobablyalsopeoplewhohavemovedoutandjustkindofsaid‘OkayIdidn’thaveanoptionheresoIhadtomovetoOhioorsomethinglikethat.’”
Stanganellibroughtupanotherpointthatseemedcontradictory:areportshereadrecentlythatsaidAppalachiamightseeimmigrationfrompeoplefleeingtheheatwavesandcoastaldisastersofclimatechange.
“Youmightthink,oh,thatdoesn’tmakesense…andthenyouthink,‘Oh,itactuallyactuallykindofdoesmakesense,’”shesaid.
Theystoppedonamountaintopsurroundedbyacresofmostlyflatlandandsteppedontoadirtpathpockedwithpuddlesfromalatewinterrain.
Thismuch
