Updated at 3:38pm Saturday, September 28, 2024
On Friday, Governor Bill Lee declared a State of Emergency for Tennessee due to the severe weather and massive rainfall that occurred on Thursday and Friday, September 26th and 27th.
Late Friday night, TVA reported an imminent breach of the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County which would impact Cocke, Greene, and Hamblen counties in northeast Tennessee.
Around 9am Saturday, TVA posted to Facebook that the Nolichucky River had crested, and the dam remained intact. Water was receding by approximately one foot per hour. The Dam Safety teams were assessing the condition of the dam to determine next steps. TVA estimated that water levels reached 8 feet over the record elevation. Around 3pm TVA the had determined the dam is stable and secure.
Duke Energy confirmed that Walters Dam, also known as the Waterville Dam, had not failed, however the evacuation order for Newport, Tennessee remained in place. Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said Saturday morning that search and rescue operations continued throughout the night. Teams renewed efforts Saturday by land, water, and air.
TEMA continues to deploy personnel at the request of the counties and is coordinating with local officials to assess damages and ensure life safety needs are met.
FEMA has authorized Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures for the counties of Carter, Cocke, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington.