COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — It's been a hard two months for people impacted by Hurricane Helene. With winter around the corner, it may be getting harder. There are still people who are without permanent housing in those areas, and some are still living in camper vans.
"We've received no confirmed reports of anybody without hard shelter. But what we're doing is, our sheriff's patrols while they're out, they're keeping an eye out for those things and reporting those as they see them, or if they see them," said Rob Mathis, the Cocke County mayor.
The county said that, although it cannot provide permanent shelter on its own, it's working with other agencies to connect people to those resources.
"The county doesn't have the shelter or the resources, but we can hopefully connect them with the people who do. We don't want anyone to be hungry or cold or not have those basic life-sustaining elements during this time or anytime," said Mathis.
The county is also working with local churches in the area who can provide resources.
"All of the local churches are really making those efforts, that's something ever since the floods have hit and before — all of our local churches are actively engaged in their communities and helping the people in need," said Mathis.
Shelters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are no longer available in Cocke County, but the agency is offering assistance for people whose home heating was impacted by the storm.
"If floodwaters reached your home heating systems, be sure to have experienced repair personnel check that they are in good working order. If you are a homeowner and the storm caused damage to your essential appliances, you may be able to receive funds from FEMA to get them repaired or replaced," FEMA said.