Following historic Kentucky and West Virginia flooding, Team Rubicon stood up operations in Appalachia this week and began deploying disaster relief volunteers, or Greyshirts, to help homeowners recover from widespread flood damage in both states.
The operations are in response to devastating flooding events that struck West Virginia and Kentucky within days of each other in late June, destroying homes, closing roads, and cutting power to thousands. In both states, the damage has landed hardest on communities already stretched thin.
Greyshirts Step Up in Boone County, in Response to West Virginia Flooding
A slow-moving storm system dumped as much as six inches of rain on southern West Virginia beginning June 22, sending Pond Fork and other waterways out of their banks overnight into June 23. The flash flooding hit the Van, Bob White, and Wharton communities in Boone County particularly hard, sweeping water into living rooms and garages, washing out the Shawnee Trail Bridge, and triggering landslides that trapped vehicles and residents alike. Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for Boone, Logan, and Raleigh counties as officials tallied damage to homes, roads, and bridges across the region.
County officials say more than 120 homes across Boone County were affected in some way, with roughly ten structures destroyed and a similar number suffering major damage.
Flooding like this is especially punishing for Boone County and the surrounding coalfields. The region’s narrow hollows and creek-bottom communities leave homes with little buffer from rising water, while winding mountain roads—many of them now damaged or washed out—can cut off entire neighborhoods from help. It’s also a part of Appalachia that has weathered the decline of the coal industry for years, leaving many families with limited savings or insurance to absorb a disaster like this on their own.
In response, Team Rubicon mobilized Greyshirts on Monday, June 29, to support Boone County’s flooding response. Crews deployed to the Van and Wharton area to conduct muckout and debris removal at flooded homes. As of Thursday, July 2, Greyshirts had already assisted 13 homeowners and removed more than 1,000 cubic feet of flood debris.
Two-Week Kentucky Flooding Relief Operations Begin in Madison County
Just days after flooding devastated West Virginia, central Kentucky was hit by a massive disaster. A prolonged period of heavy rain—2 to 6-plus inches, with some areas seeing up to 8 inches in a single stretch from Friday night through Saturday, June 27—sent rivers including the Kentucky, Rolling Fork, Green, and Rough well above flood stage. Flood warnings were issued statewide, covering all 120 Kentucky counties.
The toll has been severe. At least 12 deaths have been confirmed, with officials warning the count could still rise. Emergency crews conducted more than 1,000 water rescues, and hundreds of residents were evacuated to Kentucky State Parks for shelter. Hundreds of roads were closed, with some counties, including Pike County, restricting non-essential travel entirely. More than 16,000 customers lost power, and Governor Andy Beshear said multiple counties were hit with record rainfall totals in an extremely short window, washing out roads and bridges.
Madison County was among the hardest hit. In Richmond, floodwaters trapped and killed residents in a basement apartment, while another person died after their vehicle was swept off the road near Tates Creek Road. A local church was knocked off its foundation.
Part of what makes this disaster so hard on Kentucky communities is that it isn’t an isolated event, but is the latest in a grim pattern. This flood marks the state’s 16th weather-related disaster in roughly six and a half years, following catastrophic flooding in 2022 that killed dozens and swept homes off their foundations, and another round of deadly flash floods in early 2025. For many families and first responders, this recovery is beginning before the last one has fully finished, straining local resources, volunteer networks, and emotional resilience alike.
In direct response to the June 26–27 flooding, Team Rubicon stood up disaster operations in Madison County on Thursday, July. Over the next two weeks, dozens of Greyshirts will carry out muck-outs, roof tarping, chainsaw operations, and general debris removal to help residents begin recovering.
Two Communities, One Mission
From the coalfields of southern West Virginia to the flood-swollen rivers of central Kentucky, Team Rubicon’s Greyshirts are stepping up to serve Kentucky and West Virginia flooding survivors, helping neighbors muck out homes, clear debris, and take the first steps toward rebuilding.
