Tennessee leaders from the state and federal level surveyed storm damage and met with local officials in areas of East Tennessee devastated by Tropical Storm Helene this weekend.
Remnants of Hurricane Helene have caused widespread damage across East Tennessee since Thursday, with multiple communities experiencing catastrophic flash flooding which has destroyed roads and buildings.
On Saturday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Director Patrick Sheehan traveled to East Tennessee to survey the damage.
“Though our state has weathered significant storm damage, Tennessee is resilient & we will rebuild. We continue to pray for all impacted communities and urge Tennesseans to follow local guidance for key updates & community resources,” Lee said in a statement after surveying the damage caused by the storm.
Blackburn said she was “heartbroken” by the damage, adding, “Thank you to our first responders, Tennessee National Guard, TEMA, and the countless other agencies that have been working around the clock to rescue Tennesseans.”
The leaders’ visit to survey the damage came one day after Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration was approved by President Joe Biden.
As a result of Biden’s approval of the governor’s declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures including direct federal assistance at 75 percent federal funding for the counties of Carter, Johnson, and Unicoi.
In addition, Cocke, Hawkins, and Washington counties were granted Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, limited to “direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.”
The governor also declared a State of Emergency through Executive Order 105 to provide relief to survivors of the severe weather and flooding.
While the Tennessee Department of Health has not reported any weather-related fatalities or injuries, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has established a hotline (1-800-824-3463) to coordinate reports of missing persons in the areas affected by the storm.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
