SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Hurricane Helene is expected to bring dangerous winds and some rain to East Tennessee on Friday, and Sevier County emergency crews said they are prepared for whatever it may bring.
Tyler Baser, a spokesperson, said workers at the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency have stepped up to keep people said. He said the staff have been all hands on deck since Wednesday and the team has no plans of slowing down.
"We are making sure we are staffed up and ready to go," he said. "From here on out, we will have crews around the clock until things slow down."
Parts of East Tennessee near the mountains could see gusts of wind up to 85 mph, capable of injuring people and damaging homes. Staff also said the county already received more than 7 inches of water ahead of Friday, causing flooding in some areas. They expect to see an additional 2 inches of rain heading into the weekend.
"With the wind, that poses the threat of downed trees and power lines," said Basler.
The Pigeon River began to swell Thursday morning as the rain poured, near the Sevier Animal Care Center. Workers there put out an urgent call to action, pleading for help from the community to help them keep some dogs safe after they were housed outside.
They said the community stepped up, bringing crates while also adopting and fostering animals to make room for the outside dogs to be brought in. The animal center said it was over capacity and had to keep some of the dogs outside.
"With the rain being so high yesterday, it started to fill in the outdoor runs we had our dogs in," said Kerri Medlin, from the animal center. "I know two of our rows are empty right now, which will make space for these guys."
Sevier County Schools also said class was canceled Friday, out of concerns that the weather would make it unsafe to bring students to school.