Latest updates on flood, water rescue

Friday’s news:

Rain and wind effects from Hurricane Helene are causing damage across eastern Tennessee.

Steady rain from a typical storm began to drench eastern Tennessee this week, and then the outer bands of Hurricane Helene pounded the southern Appalachians. Now the remnants of the storm have arrived here, bringing with them winds that caused damage across Florida and Georgia.

“Falled trees and power lines are expected, causing power outages. Turn around and don’t drown,” warn experts from the National Weather Service office in Morristown.

Schools are closed and football matches are canceled.

This is what we are seeing across the region. This blog will be updated throughout the day and afternoon.

Emergency Flash Flood Warning issued along the Nolichucky River

The National Weather Service in Morristown issued a flash flood warning at 11:35 p.m. after Nolichucky Dam operators reported “Nolichucky Dam failure causing downstream flash flooding.”

A flash flood warning is in place for north-central Cocke County, southwestern Greene County and southeastern Hamblen County in eastern Tennessee.

Residents are urged to follow all evacuation orders and never enter flood waters.

The Tennessee Valley Authority confirmed the report at 12:13 p.m. in a post on social media platform X, stating, “Potentially life-threatening flooding may occur as far as Douglas Reservoir.”

Douglas Reservoir is located about 40 miles west of Nolichucky Dam and about six miles south of the intersection of Interstates 40 and 81.

The Nolichucky Dam, eight miles southwest of Greeneville, was built in 1913 and is no longer a hydroelectric facility. It forms the Davy Crockett Reservoir, an excellent place to fish for smallmouth bass.

The Nolichucky River originates in North Carolina and flows into the French Broad River in eastern Tennessee. It’s a world-class rafting destination.

Previously, TVA announced that the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County was nearing the threshold, although the dam had not failed.

Extreme rainfall events eventually break through rivers and dams, causing them to rise even after the rainfall stops.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration models, the Nolichucky River at Nolichucky Dam rose from 43.32 feet at 4 p.m. on September 25 to 62.57 feet at 10:15 p.m. on September 27. The measurements are qualified, which means that when combined with local knowledge and experience, they produce true values.

Governor Bill Lee declares a state of emergency

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order providing “critical assistance to victims of severe weather and flooding.”

He also asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide resources.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn asked President Joe Biden to approve Lee’s disaster declaration request.

“Catastrophic flooding has devastated communities across East Tennessee, causing I-40 to collapse and destroying homes,” she wrote in the letter.

Sevier County is urging residents to conserve water

Portions of Sevier County are served by the Newport Utility District, which experiences significant flooding.

Customers in these areas are asked to use water only when necessary due to critically low levels:

Jones Cove Road
Richardson Cove Road
Dear Bogard
The road to the Pearl Valley

Even though rainfall has mostly stopped in Knoxville, the risk of flooding and high winds will remain until at least 8 p.m. on September 27, the National Weather Service warns.

Flood watches and flash flood warnings remain in effect today.
In fact, strong wind warnings have also been issued for the entire day. In the mountains, of course, gusts will be strong, but even in the valley they will be dangerous.

Officials in Cocke County ordered all of downtown Newport to immediately evacuate just after 3 p.m. on September 27 amid reports that a North Carolina levee “had catastrophically failed,” although the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported that around 4:40 p.m. Duke Energy’s dam did not disappoint her.

Regardless of the details of what happened at the dam, dangerous flooding occurred in Newport, exposing homeowners and city activities, prompting the evacuation of the Cocke County Jail.

Several water rescues took place. Newport Community Center at 433 Prospect Ave. is open to people who don’t have a safe place to stay.

Rain forced the closure of Interstate 40 East in Cocke County at exit 432 as high water levels from the Pigeon River threatened to overflow onto the interstate, said Mark Nagi, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

By 3 p.m. on September 27, the Pigeon River at Newport had reached more than three times its flood stage, exceeding record levels, reaching more than 26 feet in height. The previous record was 23 feet, 4 inches.

Similarly, the French Broad in Newport reached over 18 feet at 2:45 p.m., but was expected to reach 23 feet. The river record is 24 meters.

On September 27, 54 people were rescued from the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital after dangerous flooding from Tropical Storm Helene forced them to evacuate.

Staff and patients had to be evacuated due to “extremely high and rising water levels in the Nolichucky River,” Ballad Health, the hospital’s owner, wrote on social media. Floodwaters and strong winds made it difficult to reach evacuees by boat or helicopter.

Virginia State Police completed the rescue around 4:45 p.m. using two helicopters. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office dispatched its Air Rescue 6 team to assist with the rescue.

Hours after the rescue, Unicoi County residents gathered near the hospital to admire the breathtaking scene of rushing water and floating debris. What now resembles a river, Unicoi County Clerk Patty Treadway told Knox News, was once a pasture where neighbors occasionally saw horses.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “It’s something I’ve never seen before, and I’ve lived here all my life.”

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East Tennessee counties experienced varying degrees of heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helene between September 25 and the morning of September 27.

Roane County received the least rainfall, with 2.8 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Sevier County received the heaviest rainfall in the area, with approximately 10 inches of rain falling over the past three days, prompting flash flood warnings to be issued.

The NWS reported about five inches of rainfall in Knox County.

Check how much rainfall various East Tennessee counties received here.

Knoxville and Knox County sent trained crews to other cities for the rescue

Knoxville rescue crews and their boats responded to the rescue in Carter County

Eight rapid water technicians from the Knoxville Fire Department and four Knoxville Police officers trained in rapid water rescue responded to requests for assistance in Carter County.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office dispatched helicopters and crews to Unicoi County Hospital, about 100 miles away, to help evacuate patients.

Knox County is removing trees from roads, but some are still blocked

The good news is that no roads in the city of Knoxville are closed due to flooding, but some roads may be temporarily blocked by downed trees:

West Governor John Sevier Highway/Mountain Grove (power lines)

3485 Clear Springs (power lines)

2103 Asbury (power lines)

1831 Hopewell (power lines)

3213 Montlake (power lines)

1831 Glenn Avenue (power lines)

Gaston/Cantebury (power lines)

Northshore/Whittington Creek (tree)

Alta Vista Way/Noelton (tree)

If a road is blocked in your area, here’s who to call: The Knoxville non-emergency number is 865-215-4010 and the Knox County non-emergency number is 865-215-2444.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced additional road closures on September 27 as the remnants of Hurricane Helene moved through eastern Tennessee.

According to the National Weather Service, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are under a flood warning until 9:54 a.m. on September 28.

More than 8 inches of rain fell in Newfound Gap Park, with an additional 2 to 4 inches possible, the National Park Service said in a Sept. 27 update. A flood watch is in effect throughout the afternoon. The high wind warning will remain in force until 8 p.m. on September 27.

The risk of floods, strong winds, fallen trees, landslides and power outages remains. The National Park Service encourages tourists to reschedule their trips. Updated information will appear on the park’s website when available.

Bristol Motor Speedway invites Helene evacuees to stay at the campsite

Bristol Motor Speedway is opening its Medallion Campground to Hurricane Helene evacuees free of charge from 6 p.m. on September 27. Evacuees should register using the QR code sent upon arrival, and the speedway authorities will check them the next day, the release said.

Have you thought about taking the kids to the library? Not today, as officials hope you will decide to stay off the roads. All Knox County libraries will be closed, but normal activities will resume on Saturday.

Flights to and from Florida and North Carolina were canceled overnight, and many other flights to various destinations were delayed.

As of 10:30 a.m. on September 27, McGhee Tyson had canceled 10 flights in the last 24 hours, according to FlightAware.com. As Hurricane Helene moved north into George and the Carolinas, flight cancellations mainly affected Atlanta and Charlotte.

Flights to Florida destinations including St. Patrick’s International Airport Pete-Clearwater and Destin-Fort Walton Beach, were on time.

Interstate traffic is flowing smoothly

All TDOT cameras in the Knoxville area show traffic on I-40 and I-75 appearing normal.

As winds began to pick up in the morning, power outages spread throughout Knox County, leaving approximately 4% of KUB customers without power around 4 p.m.

“Strong winds and heavy rains associated with Hurricane Helene are impacting our service area, causing widespread power outages,” KUB said in a Facebook post. “Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to repair the damage and will continue to work until power is restored to all customers.”

KUB warned customers to stay away from downed trees and power lines.

Have you run out of power? Start here on your phone.

TVA warns of coastal flooding

Tennessee Valley officials are carefully manipulating water levels throughout the region to avoid damaging flooding and are warning anyone with coastal property that water levels could rise rapidly.

The TVA River Forecast Center reported late September 27 that unusually large amounts of water were flowing into reservoirs of eastern tributaries, including the Watauga, Douglas and Fontana.

Reservoir levels at Watauga in northeast Tennessee are expected to reach record highs this weekend, and levels at Douglas Dam near Sevierville, Tennessee, are expected to be near capacity, TVA said in a news release.

“We will have to release water from these dams to make room for a larger inflow. This is expected to cause shoreline flooding below these dams,” TVA said in a statement.