Residents of Newport, Tennessee, have been ordered to evacuate as heavy rainfall and flash flooding stemming from Hurricane Helene makes its way north. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) is claiming that Walters Dam, otherwise known as Waterville Dam, has not failed. TEMA is citing the dam’s owner, Duke Energy. However, Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis initially alerted residents to leave the Newport area, roughly 60 miles west of Knoxville, in a post to Facebook just before 3 p.m. EST Friday, writing that the Waterville Dam had “suffered a catastrophic failure.”
The evacuation notice came as heavy rain brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused flooding all over Cocke County, especially in areas near the Pigeon River and French Broad River. According to the United States Geological Survey, both rivers normally sit below five feet. As of noon, the Pigeon River was sitting at 20.57 feet. As of 12:45 p.m., the French Broad River was sitting just under 17 feet.
In a following update to Facebook, nearly 3 hours later, Mathis said the dam had been “breached, but not catastrophic as of last report.” “This news has bought us some time. The evacuation is still on effect,” Mathis wrote. “Water levels continue to rise and are expected to rise several more feet.”
It’s important to note that both Mathis and TEMA are standing by the evacuation order. Regardless of the specifics of what happened at the dam, dangerous flooding was widespread in Newport and displaced homeowners and city operations.
Flooding Impact
The Pigeon River at Newport reached a gauge height of 27.13 feet, almost four feet over its previous record of 23.4 feet, rising roughly 22 feet in 16 hours, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. The water rushing into the French Broad River and Pigeon River and causing catastrophic flooding in multiple counties along the Tennessee-North Carolina border is the result of runoff from the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee Valley Authority spokesperson Scott Brooks said.
The situation, not just in Cocke County but across all of Eastern Tennessee, prompted a response from Gov. Bill Lee. “As Tennessee continues to experience severe weather and flooding from Hurricane Helene, we are monitoring conditions and urge Tennesseans to follow local guidance for key resources, safety information and community updates,” Lee said. “Maria and I continue to pray for all impacted Tennesseans.”
Emergency Response
Officials in Cocke County urged all of downtown Newport to evacuate immediately just after 3 p.m. Sept. 27 following reports that a North Carolina dam had “suffered a catastrophic failure,” though the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said around 4:40 p.m. it was told by Duke Energy the dam had not failed. There is also a shelter open at the Newport Community Center (433 Prospect Ave.) for those living north of Wilton Springs. The Liberty Church in Cosby was designated as the evacuation center for those south of Wilton Springs.
“All county and city emergency resources are currently fully engaged in water rescue and evacuation operations,” Mathis said earlier in the day Friday. “We are still several hours from the expected high-water mark. Thank you to all of our emergency responders for their heroic efforts today and in the days to come.”
“If water is rising near you, PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WATER REACHES YOU. Make plans to escape BEFORE you need assistance.”
Damage Assessment
Cocke County Sheriff CJ Ball said the jail was evacuated and Cocke County Schools offered buses to help move people displaced from different sites. “We just about didn’t get out ourselves,” Ball said of the swift-moving water. Additionally, Ball said a fire truck, a rescue squad truck and seven cruisers with the sheriff’s office have been lost in the flooding.
TEMA also provides a list of emergency shelters throughout the state. That’s available here. Mathis has also declared a state of emergency in Cocke County. Several water rescues have taken place in Cocke County, according to Tennessee Emergency Management. The Newport Community Center at 433 Prospect Ave. is open for people who do not have a safe place to stay.
Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida late Thursday night as a Category 4 storm, has left a path of destruction while passing through the Southeastern United States as a tropical depression. The storm has left downed trees and caused power outages throughout several states as of Friday afternoon. The site PowerOutage.us says over 1.2 million residences and businesses are without power in South Carolina, and over 900,000 customers are in the dark in Georgia. In Tennessee, over 100,000 customers were without power as of 4:06 p.m. EST.
Officials have reported at least 40 storm-related deaths across four states—Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina—as of Friday afternoon, according to the Associated Press. The National Hurricane Center tracked the eye of Helene above eastern Tennessee at 11 a.m. EST Friday. By 8 p.m. EST Saturday, the storm is expected to reach western Kentucky.
Other Dam Issues
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service (NWS) alerted residents in Rutherford County, North Carolina, to evacuate the area earlier in the day Friday over concerns that the Lake Lure Dam was at risk of failure. “URGENT: FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR THE LAKE LURE DAM! DAM FAILURE IMMINENT! RESIDENTS BELOW THE DAM NEED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!” read an alert from the NWS’s office in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, Friday at around 11 a.m. EST. Rutherford County is in western North Carolina, about 130 miles southeast of Cocke County in Tennessee.
Duke Energy’s Response
Duke Energy told Newsweek over email as well Friday evening that “all gates open at the Waterville Dam and continues to pass water through the dam,” adding that the company “can confirm that both the dam and our floodgates are performing as expected.” “Hurricane Helene produced historic rainfall over the past 48 hours across much of the Carolinas,” read the statement from Duke Energy. “We urge people living along our lakes and rivers or in flood-prone areas to use caution, stay informed and follow the directions of state and county emergency management.”
“There is no longer a risk of an imminent dam failure for Walters Dam on the Pigeon River,” the National Weather Service office in Morristown posted on X at 4:45 p.m. “Major flooding continues, however. Continue to heed evacuation orders from local emergency management and law enforcement. Do not drive into flooded or closed roads.”
Looking Ahead
As the storm continues to move through the Southeast, officials are urging residents to stay vigilant and follow the advice of local emergency management officials. The situation in Tennessee is expected to improve in the coming days as the storm weakens, but the floodwaters are likely to remain high for some time. It is important to remember that even after the rain stops, there can still be dangers associated with flooding, such as downed power lines and debris.
This story will be updated as we learn more.
