“It’s been a very emotional week for the people in upper East Tennessee and for those who are spending hours and nights a day, 24 hours a day, to make sure that these survivors are served. That’s our commitment to the people of this state, and I think you’ll see that commitment will not stop,” Gov. Bill Lee said.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Governor Bill Lee, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and other state and local agencies remain focused on helping the survivors and finding those still missing in the days after deadly floodwaters from Hurricane Helene swept through upper East Tennessee.
Nine people have been reported dead so far, and dozens of others remain missing, according to TN officials.
Gov. Lee told reporters in a briefing Wednesday the state’s cabinet has agreed to make Tennessee’s response to the devastation “survivor-centric.”
“When you’re there, and you see these families, and you see the tears, and you see the heartache of what has unfolded on the ground there, you become even more committed,” Gov. Lee said. “We’re in the middle of what is a remarkably difficult and tragic unfolding in East Tennessee, and there is a remarkable effort to meet the needs of those folks.”
Gov. Lee confirmed the TBI is investigating the plastics plant, Impact Plastics, in Erwin after some alleged the company ignored warnings about Hurricane Helene and required employees to come to work despite the storm.
Impact Plastics said at no time were employees told that they would be fired if they left the facility.
“The investigation will reveal if there was any issue there,” Gov. Lee said.
At last check, TEMA director Patrick Sheehan said more than 600 structures across four counties were damaged by the floodwaters. Around 120 of those were destroyed and 113 reported major damage, but he expects those numbers to rise over the next few days.
The state has submitted an expedited disaster relief request. Once the application is approved by the federal government, Tennesseans will be able to begin applying for financial relief.
TDOT has reopened 25 of the 50 roadways that were initially closed due to flooding. The department has also obtained four contracts to begin debris removal and repairs on the five bridges that were destroyed by the floodwaters.
“Most of the interstate and state system is eligible for emergency repair funding from the federal government, so we are taking meticulous care to make sure we keep up with everything that needs to be done with that,” TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley said. “We need to get people accessible to services, whether it be healthcare, hospital, food, shelter. Those are the things we have focused on first, then to the assessment, and then to the construction.”
More than 400 National Guardsmen have been airdropping supplies to those who are isolated due to washed-out roads.
Meanwhile, 1,400 customers remain without power, which was down from 5,000 Tuesday afternoon, as crews continue to work to restore electricity.
The state faced questions Wednesday regarding the timing of evacuations, warnings, and requests for federal assistance. Gov. Lee told reporters the state is committed and dedicated to helping those who need it.
“It’s been a very emotional week for the people in upper East Tennessee and for those who are spending hours and nights a day, 24 hours a day, to make sure that these survivors are served. That’s our commitment to the people of this state, and I think you’ll see that commitment will not stop,” Lee said.
The state is working to open multi-agency response centers in impacted areas where people can access resources, including driver’s licenses, food assistance, child services, in one place. In addition, officials will open the Northeast TN Disaster Relief Center at Bristol Motor Speedway, which will serve as a donations headquarters and base camp for task forces and other organizations on the ground.
Officials urged those needing assistance with debris and flood cleanup to call Tennessee’s crisis cleanup hotline at (844) 965-1386.
For a list of disaster recovery resources, click here.