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There are still 10 people missing in Unicoi County

Shikarov
There are still 10 people missing in Unicoi County

The remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated parts of eastern Tennessee with dangerous flooding and winds that downed power lines and trees.

The threat has not passed, especially in the Great Smoky Mountains and along the Nolichucky River, where the threat of flooding remains, even in areas that may not have seen it yet.

Here are the latest weather warnings and clean-up efforts following what has happened over the past few days.

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With the help of countless resources from across the county and state, Unicoi County first responders were able to find most of the 33 people who went missing on the afternoon of September 28, Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson told Knox News.

“We are largely still in search and rescue mode rather than the recovery phase, but time is of the essence,” he said.

Tilson said there have been no confirmed deaths.

Tilson expects more resources will be available on Sept. 29 to search for the remaining 10 people. Help will come in the form of additional first responders, as well as families and friends of missing people who searched on their own.

Tilson plans to work with those loved ones to ensure search efforts are not duplicated.

“More hands is better, and more shoes is better,” he told Knox News. “And if it was my family, I would be looking and you couldn’t tell me no.”

An update to conditions is expected around 10:00 on September 29.

The Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency is warning that flooding may occur along the French Broad River in East Knox County as a result of the release of increased water from Douglas Dam.

Residents in areas along this river should be prepared for potential flooding and possible evacuations, the agency said in a news release around 3 p.m. on September 28.

The release said the elevation of the French Broad is expected to rise 2 to 2.5 feet due to the release of water from the dam. It may take two to three days to release the rising water to maintain the integrity of Douglas Dam.

The release said that if an evacuation is recommended, emergency response agencies and KEMA will notify affected communities as soon as possible.

On September 28, just after 2 p.m., the City of Greeneville posted on social media that people should not go to the Greeneville Municipal Airport to distribute water.

“This information is false,” the post reads. “Water will eventually be available through the National Guard. NOW we focus on saving people and meeting their most urgent needs. Water distribution will occur later when manpower and supplies are ready.”

Truck driver Bill Halterman said his wife was seven months pregnant and was on the other side of a bridge blocked by law enforcement. Halterman, who served in the National Guard, said his frustration is growing.

“How many days can they go without water?” he said. “The guard should have been here last night.”

Some residents in the flood path headed away from the carnage to churches serving as shelters, including Asbury United Methodist at 201 S. Main St. in Greenville. Manley Baptist Church in Morristown, also located at 3603 W. Andrew Johnson Highway, also serves as a shelter.

On the evening of September 27, Bristol Motor Speedway opened its Medallion Campground free of charge to Hurricane Helene evacuees.

Flood warnings are changing very, very quickly

AND flood warning valid until 7:15 p.m. for:

  • The French Broad River near Newport, flowing into Jefferson and Cocke counties
  • Nolichucky River at Embreeville flowing into Greene, Unicoi and Washington counties

AND separate flood warning valid until 20.00 due to the release of the dam:

AND wind advisory has been extended until 5 p.m. Down:

  • Blount County
  • Cocke County
  • The Great Smoky Mountains
  • East Polk County
  • Johnson County
  • Sevier County
  • Southeast Carter County
  • Southeast Greene County
  • Southeastern Monroe County
  • Unicoi County

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has a hotline to report missing persons: 800-TBI-FIND.

“Callors should be prepared to provide as much identifying information as possible, including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification and last known location,” TBI said in a news release.

The TBI will coordinate any reports received with local police.

“Do not call about ownership,” TBI advises.

A confluence of weather patterns in the eastern United States caused historic flooding that forced people from their homes along the Nolichucky River in Tennessee in the middle of the night Friday as officials warned of failing dams and raging torrents that devastated communities.

In several forecast discussions earlier this week, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologists described a band of moisture ahead of Helene. These are called pre-events and have been documented in the past to produce heavy rains before the arrival of tropical storms and hurricanes.

In the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, nearly 30 inches of rain fell in Asheville and 8 inches in Tryon on Wednesday and Thursday, according to preliminary weather data. Another six inches fell over two days in Bristol-Johnson, Tennessee, and more than four inches fell in Knoxville.

The Helene mass circulation then mixed with more rainfall and then became a post-tropical cyclone. Recent research has shown that some hurricanes draw more moisture from the warming Gulf of Mexico, further increasing rainfall totals.

On Saturday morning, President Joe Biden approved emergency disaster aid in Tennessee.

The president’s decision activates the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief and provides federal funds for “emergency protective measures,” according to a FEMA press release.

Aid is specifically intended for Carter, Johnson and Unicoi counties. Flash floods and mudslides caused evacuations, especially along river banks.

Governor Bill Lee declared a national emergency and requested funds.

Roads will be closed in Knoxville on Saturday

These roads are still closed due to downed trees or power lines:

  • Dutch Valley Drive at Holland Road
  • Woodlawn Pike at Ellis Street

Nolichucky Dam deemed ‘stable and safe’

The National Weather Service in Morristown has extended a flood watch until 5:05 a.m. Sept. 29 for the French Broad River in Jefferson and Cocke counties and the Nolichucky River in Unicoi, Washington and Greene counties.

Tennessee Valley officials issued a dam breach warning overnight, saying the lack of visibility and rising water levels made it difficult to assess the situation there.

On September 28 at 4 p.m., TVA reported that the Nolichucky Dam had been deemed “stable and safe” as water levels continued to decline. “We are notifying local emergency management agencies that we are moving to advanced monitoring mode for the dam and exiting the emergency status,” TVA said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Earlier in the day, TVA said in a news release that water levels in the same location were falling at a rate of about a foot per hour.

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