KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Seventeen people were reported dead after historic flooding swept through upper East Tennessee, according to a Tennessee Emergency Management Agency report sent on October 8.
It said most of those deaths from Unicoi County, which saw severe flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. A list of the counties that saw weather-related deaths is available below, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
- Cocke County: 2
- Greene County: 1
- Knox County: 1
- Johnson County: 1
- Unicoi County: 8
- Washington County: 4
The emergency management agency also said Friday there were four remaining active leads, as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation continued to help search for missing people. The number does not represent the total number of unaccounted people, just the number of public leads.
There were three people reported in Greene County and a person reported in Cocke County.
Governor Bill Lee said that the federal government approved his request for an expedited major disaster declaration for Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties. The declaration opens up additional funds to help those communities recover from the storm.
On Wednesday, three more counties were added to that last — Grainger, Claiborne and Sullivan counties.
TEMA said Wednesday that more than $1.3 million in federal funds was approved so far to help counties rebuild, including around $996,000 in housing assistance. It said Wednesday that FEMA already validated 4,982 registrations, giving out more than $5.1 million in individual and household program funding.
People can apply for an upfront payment of $750 to pay for essentials, through FEMA's Serious Needs Assistance program.
FEMA said the total amount given out as of Wednesday was more than $286 million to help survivors impacted by Hurricane Helene, with an additional $180 million for mission assignments to federal partners.
The emergency management said the Bristol Motor Speedway was designated as the Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center, centralizing recovery efforts in a major location and helping people coordinate from a single place.
People who need help cleaning up after the flooding can call the Crisis Clean-Up Hotline at 844-965-1386.
TEMA warned that several boil water advisories were still in place Wednesday, as communities worked to repair water and wastewater infrastructure. A list of severely impacted utilities is available below.
- Hamblen County, Lowland Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Johnson County, Mountain City Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Unicoi County, Erwin Utilities Authority
TEMA said Wednesday that 18 total water facilities reported operation issues, and 14 issued boil water advisories. The Greene County Emergency Management Agency also said a boil water advisory was still in place for most of the county, with no estimate as to when it would be lifted.
Leaders also issued a temporary water contact advisory for most major bodies of water in East Tennessee. That includes the Nolichucky, French Broad, Pigeon, Doe, and Watauga rivers. People should not make contact with water from those rivers until the department can be certain they're not contaminated by sewage.
