KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — During a roundtable discussion Tuesday, several agencies spoke about their efforts to help communities recover from Hurricane Helene. They also addressed misinformation and rumors that circulated in the days that followed the storm, as well as threats the Federal Emergency Management Agency received while trying to help people.
The panel was made up of five people, representing different agencies. They are listed below.
- David Rausch, TBI Director
- Nancy Dragani, a senior federal official with FEMA
- Monica Myles, Small Business Administration public affairs specialist
- Steve Borden, TDOT Region 1 director and assistant chief engineer
- J.D. Anderson, FBI special agent
How can I get recovery assistance?
Dragani said it was vital for people who need help recovering from the hurricane to apply for it. Without applying for assistance, FEMA is not able to help people in need. Anyone can start the process of applying for aid by calling 1-800-621-3362, the agency's hotline for individual assistance. Multilingual operators are available.
More information about how people can access federal assistance is available online.
What if I don't have cell service or electricity?
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and FEMA set up three centers where people go to get resources. By arriving at a center, people can connect with different organizations and agencies that can offer more specific help.
Those three centers are available below.
- MARC — Jonesborough: 306 Forest Drive
- MARC — Elizabethton: 1749 Highway 19E
- MARC — Newport: 466 Learning Road
The Bristol Motor Speedway has also become the Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center — a centralized point where the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and volunteers from agencies can work to respond to the storm.
Where can I get food or water?
County emergency management agencies have set up distribution points for anyone who needs food or water while recovering from the storm. Representatives said during the roundtable they received an overwhelming amount of donations, and the counties ran out of space to put them,
"What has happened is these areas have been saturated with donations, and now that we have stood up the center at Bristol Motor Speedway, it gives a location for donations to be collected, which has the space to be collected," said Rausch. "The counties were not able to store (donations) anymore."
Anyone who needs food or water should reach out to their county's emergency management agency. A list of those agencies is available below.
- Greene County: 423-798-1729
- Cocke County: 423-623-5978
- Unicoi County: 423-735-3315
- Jefferson County: 865-471-9001
- Carter County: 423-542-1888
- Washington County: 423-434-6082
How has the storm impacted elections?
Some small changes were reported in East Tennessee as a result of the storm — only in six counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. Those counties and changes are listed below.
Carter County
- Two Election Day polling places have temporarily been changed and voters in the impacted areas will vote at their temporary location on Election Day. Notices are being sent to local media and letters are being mailed to the impacted voters.
- Hampton High School (Tiger Valley Precinct) will vote at Hampton Elementary.
- Elk Mill VFD (Elk Mills Precinct) will vote at Little Milligan Elementary
Cocke County
- The Election Commission has moved to 157 Western Plaza Drive, Newport, TN 37821.
- The new mailing address is PO Box 459, Newport, TN 37822.
Greene County
- All locations are expected to be open by Election Day. Voters are encouraged to monitor road conditions for possible closures.
Johnson County
- Access to the Trade Community Center polling place is limited. Election officials are monitoring the progress in repairing Highway 421 to determine if any adjustments will be needed. The Trade Community Center polling location is expected to be open. If this changes, notice will be widely distributed.
Unicoi County
- Election Day Voting at the Temple Hill Elementary School will now occur in the library. Voters can gain access through the library entrance at the left rear of the building.
Washington County
- The office and all early voting and Election Day sites are operational.