NEWPORT, Tenn. — A new Multi-Agency Resource Center opened in Newport on Sunday. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said it serves as a one-stop location for people to access resources to help recover from Hurricane Helene.
On Monday, the center was filled with Cocke County neighbors who were trying to get their lives back to normal.
"Just come to get a little relief or clean up where we had less water and power outages and just lost some food and stuff — just the basic needs," said James Pruitt Jr., a Newport resident.
He said he lost power and water when historic flooding hit his town, and he said he's grateful because other places in the city were hit harder than where he lives.
"Water was the main problem, couldn't take baths and stuff like that. But there was other areas than where I live that was hit worse than where we at," said Pruitt Jr.
He said he was able to get a lot of information about assistance at the center. He alsosaid thankful for all the help his community has been receiving over the last few weeks.
Sammy Crum said he lost everything when the Pigeon River flooded.
"My house was totally submerged in water. It was actually level to my head and I'm 6 feet tall. So it has done a significant amount of damage to my entire property," said Crum.
He said he lived close to the river but flooding had never been that severe. He lived on Main Street in Newport and his house is about 20 feet from the river.
"It blew out the windows, it went over countertops. It's been a total disaster. They call this a 500-year flood and I truly hope it is," said Crum.
He said he went to the center to get all the help he could get. He was only able to save a few important documents and family pictures. His dog also died in the flooding and he said he's been staying with his grandmother since his house was flooded.
"Literally anything I can get. This has been the most traumatic experience I've ever had to live through. I just take it one step at a time. I've been going around the local organizations, churches, stuff like that and they've been kind enough to donate. Every one of my appliances destroyed, every piece of clothing I had is gone," said Crum.
Terry Wallen, another Newport resident, said he was lucky to only see minor damage from the flooding.
"We were blessed for the most part. The worst part was my driveway. It just wiped out our driveway. We were really fortunate. We feel kind of in the hole in between all the damage," said Wallen.
He said his wife was taking advantage of free driver's license renewal services and said through this disaster, he's seen a lot of kindness in his community.
"I look at it as karma — I do a good deed for you, a good deed is gonna come back to me. Everybody likes good deeds so do something for somebody. It will come back even if you ain't got a dollar, a hug goes a long way. Some people a hug, a smile, a nice word that goes just as far as $1, or $100," said Wallen.
Crum said he agrees.
"I've been overwhelmed with happiness that people actually went together and kind of American-helping-American type thing. I've even seen people with drones drop medication off to people and I thought that was a very kind gesture of them to do," said Crum.
The Salvation Army was also at the center. The nonprofit passed out shelf-stable food boxes and cleanup kits if your home was flooded.
TEMA also has two other multi-agency resource centers, one in Jonesborough and another in Elizabethton.